The Bride Wore Red
by Donnamour1969
Summary: 14th in my post-"Sonata" series. Josef and Simone plan their wedding, but danger lurks in snowy Lake Tahoe. Can Mick and Beth help it go off without a hitch? Alternating POV's. Rated T/M for language,sex,violence.No copyright infringement intended.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Welcome new and old readers alike! If you haven't read my other stories, this is part of a series, so you might want to click on my name and start with "Behind Closed Doors" and work your way up to this one. Or, give this one a read if you don't have time to go back—I'll try to fill in some background info along the way. This first part of this chapter is a little risqué, but mainly through innuendo. Later chapters may be much more explicit, so proceed at your own risk. Hope you like it.

Chapter 1

MICK

"So tell me, Mick, does Beth mow her secret garden?"

Josef asked me this unexpected question mid-drink, and I was so taken by surprise that whiskey went down the wrong way and I began coughing uncontrollably. He casually reached over and patted my back. Hard.

" What the hell kind of question is that?" I asked when I could.

"Well, I ask this because I got quite a surprise from Simone yesterday. Seems she's been getting some tips from the Brazilians."

"Are we really having this discussion?" If I could still blush, my face would be bright red.

We were sitting in my apartment, both our women having to pull all-nighters, so we did as most men did when at loose ends: drank, smoked, and had trivial discussions. Like this one, for example.

"Well, why _wouldn't_ we discuss it? I mean, we've about exhausted every other topic known to man, haven't we?"

That was not much of an exaggeration. Fifty years of friendship and nothing much was sacred. Except this, perhaps.

"For one thing, Josef, I'm pretty sure anything south of Beth's neck is none of your goddamn business." I refilled my glass from the bottle of single malt in front of us on the coffee table.

He laughed, puffing out smoke from his Cuban cigar. "Okay, fair enough. You could at least tell me your…preferences."

"No, I couldn't"

"You've never been with a woman who's waxed, have you?"

"Again, none of your business." I had, but I preferred a girl to be well…natural.

"Well, personally," he continued, not caring that I was uncomfortable with the whole conversation, " I like a bit of a landing strip, to you know, _guide the way_. But Simone went completely bare. In the past, with other women, it was kind of a turn-off. I felt vaguely pedophilic, if you know what I mean. But let me tell you, when I went down—"

"None of _my _business, Josef," I interrupted, looking away and taking another drink.

He just chuckled merrily. "Alright, I won't go into detail. Wouldn't want to offend your 1950's sensibilities."

"Since when?"

He had the grace not to attempt to deny it. We sat in uncomfortable silence a moment—or, at least I did.

"But wait—I can answer my own question. Remember when I caught a glimpse of Beth naked? It was in this very apartment…"

My head swung around, and it took all my self-control not to commence pummeling him senseless.

"I really think we should change the subject," I growled, deadly serious.

He took a sip from his own glass, and grinned, not afraid of me in the least, but willing to quit pushing the limits of my tolerance where Beth was concerned. He promptly changed the subject—sort of.

"I knew this girl, in France, who changed her mons with each holiday. At Christmas, her minge was shaped into a Christmas tree- what a present that was. Valentine's Day? A heart, of course. St. Patrick's Day—you guessed it—a four-leafed clover. I certainly got lucky that night. Easter? Guess what it was, Mick."

"No."

"Come on, guess. I know you want to."

I sighed, knowing I'd better give him some answers or we'd be discussing this for hours more.

"An Easter basket."

He barked a laugh. "No. That would have been funny, though. No, it was a cross. Can you count how many ways that is blasphemous?" He shook his head, remembering fondly. "She was quite a girl. Very adventurous." He grinned nostalgically.

I couldn't help smiling too.

"How many women you suppose you've been with, Josef?" The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Now who's getting personal?" He raised an eyebrow, but of course, he wasn't offended. "Are we talking human, vampire, or both?"

"Never mind," I backtracked. "Sorry I asked." But I knew, once this particular genie was out of the bottle…

"Well, let's see…I was turned in 1624, at age 25. By that time, I'd had maybe twenty…"

"Twenty!"

He smirked. "Let me guess—that's around your _top _number."

Actually, it was around fifty, but remember, I was technically in my eighties now. Besides, there was no way I was giving him this information. Beth would end up hearing about it, one way or another, and I'd be labeled a man-whore. Beth had told me once she'd been with only three other men besides me.

"No, I'm a little more experienced than that, thank you very much. I've been a vampire over fifty years, ya know."

"But married thirty-three of those years, if I recall correctly, and I know you didn't cheat on Coraline, as much as she deserved it."

At this rate, it probably wouldn't take him much figuring to come to my actual number. I had gone a little crazy in the early 1980's after Coraline and I were officially through, and Josef had been witness to that madness. Until I'd met Beth.

"We were talking about you." I said, trying to steer him back on track. He saw right through it, grinning slyly, but letting me off the hook.

"Okay. Since I was turned," he continued, lost in thought, "probably an average of three women a week—different women, that is. Some vampire, some human. So, fifty-two weeks in a year, four hundred years…of course, take off three years when I was-damn, do you have a calculator?"

My ears pricked up at the juicy tidbit he'd unintentionally dropped. "Three years when you _what_, Josef?"

"What?" He asked innocently, hiding behind his cigar.

"I heard you. Spill it."

I could tell his wheels were turning, trying to get out of the corner he'd unthinkingly painted himself into. He finished his scotch, then refilled his glass methodically.

"You wouldn't let me get away with a slip like that. So tell me now, or I'll pursue it like you do everything with me—relentlessly."

He sighed and shifted in his chair. I smirked. _Now, who was uncomfortable? _ I stared at him in anticipation, suddenly enjoying this unexpected turn, an opportunity to find out more about my old friend, who guarded certain secrets like a dragon guards its gold.

He rose to his feet, taking his glass with him to stare out into the twinkling LA night.

"Alright. I was married. Once. For three years. It ended badly. That's all I've got to say about that."

I for one was an expert on failed marriages, so I wasn't about to pry.

"Does Simone know?"

"No. And you are about to swear she never will hear it from you."

I watched his tense back, encased in an expensive suit, and of course, did as he asked. "I swear. But don't you think you should tell her yourself."

"No."

And that was the end of that; he would answer no more questions on that score. Maybe someday he'd open up to me. God knows, he'd been there to share in the colossal failure that was _my_ marriage.

"But," he said, brightening, "speaking more positively of marriage—Simone and I have set a date." He returned to his customary chair, bad memories forgotten.

I was surprised to hear this news. Josef and Simone's road to love had been rocky, to say the least. And with a crazy prospective mother-in-law, I didn't think Josef was too anxious to become a part of Simone's family. He'd even been pushed to show his fangs to Elise Walker, threatening her with bodily harm should she hurt her daughter again. To make things even more complicated, Simone was a vampire now, unbeknownst to her parents, which would make a traditional wedding and marriage nearly impossible.

"When's the happy day?" I asked, trying to inject more happiness than concern.

"Christmas Eve."

"Really? That's just two weeks away. Hardly enough time to plan a big bash, is it?"

"We've decided on a small wedding. Just friends."

"No family?" I asked curiously. Of course, the families of all the vamps we knew were long gone, so I was obviously meaning Simone's.

"We've invited Simone's parents, but I'm not expecting they'll show up. Simone has begun breaking away from the rest of her extended family, and she no longer feels like she has much in common with her old friends. Except Beth, of course. I warned her before I turned her how hard it would be to give up her old life."

"How is she handling it?"

He smiled fondly. "Simone is amazingly resilient. I'm very proud of her. You know how quickly she's adapted to being a vampire. And now she's starting her own law firm for vamp clients, so she's doing a brisk business because of her more convenient hours. Human courts still occur during the day, but part of her service is getting her cases on the docket in the afternoons. A brilliant business strategy. I wish I'd thought of it."

"I'm glad to hear things are going so well for her. For both of you, apparently. So, where are the nuptials to be held?"

"Lake Tahoe."

"Nice. Very cold this time of year—great idea, my friend."

"Yeah, I think so. We'll have it in Simone's wedding present. I bought her a cabin on the lake—a great vacation home investment. We'll honeymoon there, and I've arranged suites in a nearby resort for you, Beth, Guillermo, Logan, and their dates. Maybe we can even get in some night skiing."

"Better and better. I haven't done that in years." With our vampire vision, skiing at night was no hazard for us, and allowed us to have fun without the brightness of sun on snow. Beth would be the odd human out, but then again, I had no idea whether or not she skied. I grinned to myself, imagining her in a sexy little ski bunny outfit.

Josef was watching my face, smiling knowingly.

"I take it by your goofy expression you are liking this idea?"

"Yeah. I'm really looking forward to getting away to a colder climate. And Tahoe is a beautiful location for a wedding. The ladies are gonna love it."

"I'm sure."

We sat quietly drinking a moment, each lost in thought about the trip to come. I suddenly sensed Josef's nervousness, and brought my attention back to the present.

"What else is up, Josef?"

"Well…I have something to ask you, and it seems likely you will agree, but I've never done this before, so bear with me." He took a deep, shaky breath, then: "Would you be my best man?"

I had two possible reactions to this. I could joke, making him suffer a little, or accept immediately because I was so honored and proud to be his best man. I decided on a combination of both.

"So, you are finally admitting it," I said, deadpan, "I _am_ the best man."

He grinned. "That's just a traditional title. Don't take this to mean I'm admitting to your superiority over _me _in any way. No, the superlative _best_ is based on your placement relative to Guillermo and that idiot, Logan. Given your competition, I wouldn't get too cocky."

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"So, despite your default position…"

"I'll do it," I said happily, allowing my true feelings to show, even at risk of my emasculation. "You're my best friend, my brother. Of course I'll stand up for you."

His answering grin was almost bashful, and I wished fleetingly the public could see this side of him. Then again, no one should ever doubt how terrifying Josef Kostan could be.

"Thanks," he replied softly, and without additional words, a deep understanding passed between us. Now normally, Josef awkward silences, but only if it was at other people's expense.

"So," Josef said, finally, breaking the unmanly mood. "How 'bout those Lakers?"

A/N: Well? How do you like this set up? Please let me know, and be sure to click the box for updates so you know when I post chapters. Thanks in advance for any reviews you are kind enough to leave. They really inspire me to write more and to write often .

I


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter has a lot of dialogue, is fairly fluffy, and extra long. Call it the calm before the storm. I haven't done a full-cast scene like this in awhile, so I had fun just showing everyone's domestic side. And the ending is definitely rated capital M (ha ha). Hope you enjoy it. I know Beth did!

Chapter 2

BETH

"Thank God that's over," I said to Simone as we left the police station together. Just as I had been about to get off work, there'd been a suspected murder downtown, and of course the DA's office had been called in. A man had been shot in the head in the Richmond Building, and there had only been one other person in the room when it had happened, according to the man's secretary, who had called 911. That witness, as I later found out, had been a vampire, Patrick Massey. He claimed it had been suicide, and he'd just been an innocent bystander. He was very helpful and cooperative, which spoke well for him. Until preliminary tests could be done, Massey was held for questioning. He'd called his lawyer, who just so happened to be Simone Walker.

"No gun residue on his hands, no signs of blood splatters on his clothing," Simone mused as we walked toward our cars. "Had to be suicide. Poor Massey had picked the wrong time for a business meeting. He had no idea the guy had been having money troubles." She shook her head at the irony. "It would have been so much easier if I could have told the police Massey was a vampire, and it wasn't a vamp's style to use a gun. Breaking his neck, maybe. Draining him dry—definitely. A vampire working in the human world would never use a gun in the daylight, which would have immediately drawn attention to himself."

"When Ben saw you, he was immediately suspicious though. He remembers that you are Josef's girlfriend, so I'm sure he was thinking there was a vampire involved."

"He doesn't know _I'm _a vampire now, does he?"

"I don't think so, but then he still maintains the _don't ask, don't tell_ policy with regard to the vampire community. A very wise act of self-preservation."

We grinned at each other, and stopped at Simone's shiny red Porsche. It was around midnight, and I was on my last legs. I was grateful tomorrow was Saturday, so I could sleep in. I barely stifled a yawn.

"Excuse me. I don't quite keep vampire hours."

"You heading home?" She asked me.

"No, I thought I'd crash at Mick's, since it's closer."

"Josef called me earlier and said he was hanging out at Mick's place tonight. You want to ride over with me? It would give us a chance to catch up a little more. Between work and my new sleep schedule, we haven't gotten to see each other much lately."

"Okay. Mick can take me by to pick up my car tomorrow, I guess. Good idea."

I climbed into the low-slung car and we took off into the night. The traffic downtown was minimal at this time of night, even for a Friday, and I snuggled into my coat, politely refraining from asking Simone to turn on the heater. Nights were cold in LA in December, but I knew my vampire friends welcomed the cooler weather.

"So, I have good news. Josef and I set a date."

"That _is _good news. I'm a little surprised though. You two have lived apart for the last couple of months. You must have worked through some things."

"Yeah. The separation has been a good thing. I've become confident I can take care of myself, and Josef has been able to see that. Oh, he still worries, but he's backed off admirably, only giving advice when I've asked for it."

"And you think that will hold once you're living in the same house?" Simone was trying to adapt to being a vampire, and, at the same time, work past her issues with her very controlling mother.

"That's the hope," she said with a little laugh.

"You know," I ventured gently, "it seems to me that you two have literally all the time in the world. If you're not ready—"

"I am. We are. I miss him, Beth. We still get together regularly, but even my human self was ready to settle down. And even though I can take care of myself, I would feel a lot more confident if he were there close by to help me with my little self-control issues."

"You're having self-control issues? You seem pretty normal to me. I don't even think of you as a vampire."

She sighed, glancing at me seriously. "You can't ever forget that about me, Beth. I don't mean to scare you, but I'm a little hungry right now and hearing the sound of your blood pumping is a little distracting."

My hand went unconsciously to my throat. "Maybe…maybe you should take me back to my car."

She laughed. "I _am_ scaring you. Sorry. I'll be alright. I'm sure Mick will have some blood on hand for me. But that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. I'd feel much better if Josef were here to help me calm down. As a vampire, I tend to get angrier about things than I used to. It can be a little frightening when I get mad at a judge's decision in the courtroom, and I feel my eyes start to go silver. Then, I'll picture draining him right there on the bench, and I have to excuse myself before I act on it. That doesn't look too good for my clients."

"So, have you forgotten already what it is to be human?" I asked, trying not to sound sad about it.

"No, I still think of myself as human, it's just that my emotions, urges, and senses are now all amplified. Josef says that feeling of humanity will go away after about a hundred years or so, maybe longer if I continue to interact with humans a lot. But I don't want to forget, Beth. I'm only a vampire because I wanted to be with Josef forever, not because I hated being human."

She turned to me and smiled, trying to reassure me. "But enough about me. How are you and Mick doing?"

I smiled in return, feeling a little thrill just at the thought of him. "We're great. We're taking one day at a time, sort of putting off any major relationship decisions until I'm thirty. That'll be the same age Mick was when he was turned, so I guess we decide then where we are. Maybe he'll take some more of the Cure Coraline sent him, and we'll see if that will allow him—allow us—to have a baby. I don't know. That's two years away. Who knows, maybe I'll want him to turn me by then."

I had never spoken those words aloud, and I'd surprised myself when I realized I'd meant them.

"Really?" Simone was surprised too. "I thought you had completely ruled that out."

"No," I said softly. "I guess I haven't." I laughed. "Please don't mention that to Josef or Mick. I didn't know I really felt that it was a possibility until I said it just now. I guess seeing you take so well to it, makes it seem a little less scary."

She smiled knowingly. "I'll keep quiet. Forgive me for saying so, but I hope that you do come to that conclusion. For one thing, I can't imagine a world without you, and for another, I think that Mick would go back to being his gloomy self if he lost you. That would be too depressing to have to live with for the next thousand years."

I knew she was only half joking. Was it fair to him, I thought suddenly, to let him watch me get old and die? Of course, that's what all humans married into their old age must go through. The difference was, they went through it together. Mick would stay his beautiful self, and it would cause him great pain to see me wither and fade away. But I was long past being unselfish enough to let him go. It would kill both of us before our times.

"Boy, I didn't mean to put a damper on things," Simone said. "I forgot to tell you the wedding details."

"That's right. I'm sorry—I think I was the one who sidetracked you."

"Well, what would you say to a Christmas Eve wedding…in Lake Tahoe?"

"Wow! That sounds like fun. I haven't been to Tahoe since I was a child. I remember it was really beautiful there. And a Christmas wedding? How lovely!"

"Yes, we're keeping it small. Just you and Mick, Guillermo and Logan, and I spoke to Daryl and Carrie today. They weren't going to be able to come, because they usually have a big bash at their bar, but they decided to take off a year and go with us! If you ask me, I think Carrie had something to do with that. Josef and Mick will be thrilled."

"That will be a good group. Did you invite your parents?"

"I did. I haven't heard back from them yet. Somehow, I don't think Mother will be too supportive, so I'd rather she not be there anyway. I _will _miss my father walking me down the aisle."

"I'm sorry, Simone. That must really hurt."

"Yes. But I'm marrying the man I love, surrounded by friends I love. No one could ask for more…Well, maybe one more thing."

"What's that?"  
By this time, we'd come to Mick's apartment building. She pulled into the parking garage and found a spot, then turned to me in the dim light.

"I need a maid of honor, Beth. I'd love it if you'd be there beside me."  
I grinned, then laughed, impulsively hugging her in the cramped little car. She laughed along with me.

"I'd love to! I was hoping you'd ask! But now, I have so much to do. And you really haven't given me much time."

"Don't worry about a thing. Josef is taking care of everything. I don't even know where it will be in Tahoe exactly. He says it's a surprise. He's taken care of the flowers, music, everything. The only thing we have to do is pick out dresses."

"Great! Shopping is the best part."

"And the sky's the limit, Beth. He gave me his platinum card. You want to start looking tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sounds like fun. Let me see if Mick has plans, then I can tell you for sure."

We hugged again, laughed a little like excited teenagers discussing the prom, and made our way to the elevator and up to Mick's apartment.

Outside his door, I lifted my hand to knock.

"There's no need for that," Simone laughed softly. "They could smell and hear us the second we got off the elevator."

"You're kidding? I knew a vampire's senses were heightened, but I didn't realize how far they extended."

"Plus," she added, waving to the camera high above our heads, "he can see us on the monitor. And I can smell that Mick is right behind this door."

"That's just creepy," I whispered.

"I heard that," said Mick, obviously having heard our entire conversation from his side of the door. He opened the door with a welcoming grin.

As I fell into his arms, he spoke to Simone over my shoulder. "Are you giving away all our secrets to the humans now?"

She laughed. "And risk the wrath of the Council? Never."

Josef rose to greet his fiancé, kissing her passionately, uncaring of his audience. I reached up and touched my lips gently to Mick's.

"This is a pleasant surprise," he said. "I figured you would head straight home after such a long day."

"I'm so tired," I said, covering another yawn, "I was hoping you would put me up for the night, since I really don't feel like jumping on the freeway and driving all that way in the middle of the night."

He kissed my cheek, then pulled me by the hand to the couch. "You don't even have to ask, sweetheart."

Josef was sitting again in his favorite chair, only now with Simone, shoeless, snuggled in his lap.

"You girls both had a long day," said Josef. "Simone told me earlier you were involved in the same case. Small world."

Mick looked at me askance, and I briefly explained about the Massey case.

"Sort of funny how that happened," I concluded. "It's like when you and I first kept running into each other on the same investigations, Mick. It must be fate."

"Yeah, or he was trying to get into your pants," Josef guessed.

"I was not."

"_I'm_ not trying to get into your pants, Beth," said Simone dryly.

"Well, that's comforting," Mick said with a smirk.

"Not that I would mind, myself," ventured Josef, "if I could watch, that is."

Simone and I grinned at each other, while Mick shot Josef a look of annoyance.

"Ladies, can I get you something to drink?" Mick asked, remembering his manners and changing the subject at the same time.

Simone looked a little sheepish. "You wouldn't happen to have some blood handy, would you? I'm a little hungry."

"Of course. Beth?"

"I'll come with you and raid your cabinets," I told him, tagging along with him into the kitchen. He kept a supply of human food around for just such occasions.

While he fixed Simone's dinner, I found a bag of chips and a Sprite from the fridge.

"Well, that's not healthy. Why don't you call that all-night pizza delivery." Mick suggested.

"Yeah, because that's so much better for me."

"At least it is more substantial than junk food. Pizza has protein and calcium, doesn't it?"

I laughed, coming up behind him at the counter and wrapping my arms around his waist. "Spoken like a true bachelor even though you don't eat human food," I said into his muscular back.

The microwave dinged and Simone's blood was heated. He brought it out to her and we retook our places.

"Thanks." Simone downed the glass in one gulp.

"More?" asked Mick humorously

"Simone, it's dangerous to let yourself get too hungry," said her fiancé, softly. We could all tell he was trying to show some restraint, while at the same time wanting to bark at her in frustration.

"I know; you're right. I've just been so busy, and constantly around humans. What do you do in a situation like that?"

"You keep some blood in a cooler in your car and excuse yourself," commented Josef.

She smiled into his eyes, kissing his lips. "I'll do better."

He deepened the kiss and Mick rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you two get a room. Preferably at someone else's place."

"Mick!" I exclaimed at his rudeness.

"We're being kicked out," Josef whispered loudly, not offended in the least. "Let's go to my place and call in a freshie or two. Will that glass you had hold you until we get home?"

She got up from his lap and smiled at Mick. "Thanks to your friend, here, I'll make it now. I didn't even have to resort to attacking Beth in the parking garage."

Simone winked at me as she slipped on her pumps.

"Yeah. Thanks for that." I grinned.

"We still on for dress shopping tomorrow?" Simone asked.

"Sure. Call me when you get up."

After hugs or handshakes all around, our friends left, and we were blessedly alone.

I ate my chips and yawned a few more times, then drank my soda thirstily.

"Sure you don't want some pizza?"

"No, thanks. We actually ordered Chinese at the police station. I was just a little peckish, that's all."

Mick nuzzled my neck. "Me too," he whispered, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

"Well, you'll just have to suck your snack through a straw, buddy, I'm too tired to donate to Mick's Blood Bank tonight."

He chuckled. "I figured. I was just kidding. I can see you're wiped out." But he began kissing my neck anyway, his hands exploring beneath my sweater, cupping my breasts before sliding his mouth over mine. As my pulse sped up, I suddenly wasn't feeling so tired after all. It had been a week since we'd made love, and both of us were getting heated up very quickly. A few minutes later, and he was carrying me up the stairs to the bed left over from his human days last year. Our clothes disappeared and we rolled around between the sheets, gasps and moans becoming more and more frequent as our passion escalated.

Between hot kisses, Mick whispered, "You ever played the alphabet game?"

"The what?"

His mouth left mine and he grinned against my stomach, making his way further south to the juncture of my thighs. He blew lightly there, and I shivered in reaction.

"I'll take that as a no."

"But what's-?" His cool tongue began tracing a figure around my slippery folds. "Is that an…_A?" _I breathed in wonder. His soft laughter had me trembling all over again. He dipped his tongue in again, and I could feel him slowly, carefully "writing" a distinct, lower case _b._

"Oh, God!" And the alphabet continued, sometimes upper case, sometimes lower. He only made it to capital _T _before he brought me over the edge, and I practically screamed my release.

I had barely recovered when he sat up in the middle of the bed, lifting me like a doll and lowering me onto his hardness with a groan from both of us. We were sitting now, facing each other as he thrust inside of me, my hands on his shoulders, his at my waist, guiding my movements until the pace became fast and furious. Our eyes caught and held as the pleasure built and he began to shake and sweat, whispering encouragement and praise before his words became unintelligible and he climaxed inside me, our simultaneous cries echoing in the sparse room.

I fell against him, my heart pounding, my body shaking with the aftershocks.

"Damn," he exclaimed softly. I completely agreed with that sentiment.

I smiled and raised up to kiss his temple, my hands tangling in his damp curls as we came back to earth. He found my mouth again and our kisses became deep and lazy. We lay back on the bed then, boneless and equally exhausted.

"I have a whole new appreciation for learning your _ABC's,"_ I said, still a little breathless.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he lay beside me. "I was actually a little disappointed. I had something really exciting planned for _X._"

"What would you have done if you ran out of letters before I-?"

"Started spelling words and making you guess," he replied mischievously.

"Well, never spell a word with two lower-case _i's, _or I might just pass out." I shivered anew at the thought of his very literate tongue.

He rolled over so he could look at me, his hazel eyes glinting in the light spilling in from the hallway. "I've always been very partial to Hawaii," he teased. "I'll have to take you there next time." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Fine by me."

He drew me to him, spooning himself against me. I knew he would leave me for some much-needed blood at any time, but his restraint had sharpened, and he would be able to wait until I fell asleep.

"I love you," he said, as I felt myself drifting off.

"I love you too," I managed. My last thought before sleep claimed me was that I wouldn't be opposed to his trying cursive letters next time. Mick always had such good penmanship.

A/N: I strongly encourage you grown-ups to go ahead and try this at home, lol. You can thank me later .

Thanks for reading! I hope now you take a moment to review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews you've been sharing with me. I really appreciate it. This chapter focuses on the bachelor and bachelorette parties. I know, you're thinking, _how clichéd is that? _ And you're also thinking: _why doesn't she just quit writing about the chapter, and let us read the damn thing. _Alright! Get off my back already! You can always skip the author's notes, you know. Still reading this? I could keep adding to it and some of you are still reading. Probably still are now. How about now? Okay, I must be very tired because my goofiness is showing. Please, do read on! Thanks. Okay, here we go. I'm stopping now. Really.

Chapter 3

JOSEF

"Is there a reason we're doing this," whined Logan from his chair on the deck. "I mean, we don't actually eat fish anymore, Mick."

"It's a contest, Logan. Whoever catches the biggest fish wins a prize. We'll throw back what we catch." Mick stood up near his own chair and cast his line out again.

I wondered briefly what I would catch if I baited my hook with chunks of Logan. It was these entertaining thoughts that kept Mick's idea of a bachelor party from seeming quite so lame. He'd convinced me to take my yacht out along with him and the guys for an evening of male bonding. Fishing wasn't exactly my idea of a party, but Mick and Daryl seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"I haven't fished in fifty years," said Daryl, the former sailor, relaxing in his element. "I personally think this is a genius idea, Mick." He took a swig from his beer bottle.

"Thanks."

"But seriously man," Guillermo chimed in, "where are the naked women? I really was looking forward to a nice lap dance."

"I promised the girls I'd keep Josef out of trouble. We'll fish awhile, play a little poker, drink some good scotch, tell stories about the one that got away…" He looked meaningfully at me, and I grinned back, knowing he was not only tuna fishing, but also fishing for information about my first marriage. Needless to say, I would not be forthcoming this night.

I looked at the moon reflecting on the dark water. The ocean was surprisingly calm for December, the light breeze making it refreshingly cold, and the rocking of the yacht quite soothing. I realized suddenly that I hadn't allowed myself to relax like this in years. My wedding was three days away, and we'd be heading to Tahoe tomorrow night. Mick instinctively knew that ogling strippers and partaking of willing freshies would do nothing to settle my nerves. It wasn't that I was unsure I loved Simone—far from it. She was perfect for me. But I wanted this to work. We had a history of hurting each other and running away. Even though it was expected with a bachelor party, I didn't want Simone to misinterpret anything that might go on at your typical masculine send-off. And I had the sneaking suspicion Mick felt the same way about Beth. So, he was actually protecting both of us by leaving the freshies behind. Still, it didn't mean that I couldn't have fun in other ways.

"Hey, Logan. I hear you have a new girlfriend. I have to say, I'll believe that when I see it." I knew I intimidated the poor guy, being all rich, handsome, powerful and old—everything he was not.

"I do. Ask Mick. He heard her on the phone when he called me one night."

I caught Mick's smirk out of the corner of my eye. Yeah, he was willing to play along.

"It could have just been a paid freshie," Mick said slyly. "I never actually got to talk to her. I certainly haven't been allowed to see her. Have you, Guillermo?"

"No. I bet he's ashamed of her. She probably has a fat ass and only one fang." Guillermo was happy to jump onboard the pick-on-Logan train. As far as I was concerned, the moron deserved it.

"I told you I was bringing her to the wedding," Logan said defensively. "Her name is Stacy, and she's beautiful. I met her at ComicCon last summer. We chatted online, then, next thing I know, we're texting. We hooked up when I found out she lives in LA."

"I take it back," Guillermo said, "she must have Vulcan ears."

"She dresses like Princess Leia, doesn't she? That's the attraction," commented Daryl. "Buns on either side of her head and everything."

Logan was strangely quiet, while the rest of us grinned. "She was just dressing up for the convention," Logan finally admitted softly. It took us about five minutes to stop laughing.

"Did she go to bed with you willingly," I asked. "Or did you have to use the…_Force?" _I wiggled my fingers mysteriously.

"How did you know that's what she calls my—"

At our renewed laughter, Logan had had enough. "You guys suck! I'm going in the cabin for another beer."

He was about to get up when suddenly his fishing pole jerked down. He'd caught something.

"Hey!" He said in surprise, then began frantically reeling in the line, the pole bending almost in half. "It's a big one! Geez, it's gonna break the line."

"No it won't," Daryl said, rushing to his aid. "Just give it some slack, then take it in. It's fighting you, but you've hooked it. You just have to be patient and tire it out some."

"You know, like you had to do with Stacy," I said. Everyone laughed but Logan.

We watched with interest as he battled the fish, first easing off like Daryl suggested, then, once the fish seemed to calm down, he cranked the handle of the reel slowly. Suddenly, the fish took off swimming, yanking hard on the line. Logan, taken off guard at the sudden movement, overcompensated, using his vampire strength to pull up in response. Suddenly, a giant tuna flew through the air overhead. We ducked as the flying fish slammed into the upper deck pilothouse windows. I cringed at the sound of breaking glass.

"Son of a bitch, Logan!" I bellowed. "What the fuck!"

"Sorry!"

Logan had turned around, looking above to the top level of my yacht. I jumped easily up there to assess the damage, and the others followed me. The tuna was about four feet long, and it lay flopping on the deck in its death throes, while I mentally calculated the cost of replacing the windshield.

"That's a nice fish," Daryl said in his typical understated way.

"What a monster!" came Guillermo's excited opinion. "I can't believe you hooked that sucker!" He looked down on the lower deck where Logan still stood, holding his fishing pole in shock, the line still extending up to his catch's hooked jaw.

Mick looked from the broken window to the flailing albacore, trying to suppress his grin for my benefit.

"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat," he deadpanned.

So much for the relaxing fishing trip. I hoped the girls were having more fun. I could just imagine them fixing each other's hair, painting their nails, watching chick flicks. If they were in shorty pajamas, that would definitely have been the party where I'd rather be.

SIMONE

_The man is certainly well-endowed,_ I thought, as the male stripper gyrated his Speedo right in my face.

Beth and Carrie laughed hysterically at my dazed expression, one out loud, one in my head, both a little drunk. I tucked a five-dollar bill in his waistband and with one last flick of his hips, he moved on to the next prospect. The nightclub was packed with screaming women for the one night only all-male review. Suddenly, the MC's voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Ladies, we have a few special women here celebrating their last night of freedom. Let's give them a night to remember in fifty years when they're lying in bed with their old and gray husbands. Please give a shout-out to Simone, Alyssa, and Renee!"

The club erupted in applause and cat calls, as a hunk dressed in construction worker garb came off the stage and held his hand out to me. I shot Beth and Carrie a murderous look, but they just laughed harder and pushed me into the guy. His gigantic hand swallowed mine, and I reluctantly followed him up the stage steps and to a chair between the other brides-to-be. We were all supremely embarrassed, directing dirty looks at our friends in the audience. The hip-hop music was cranked up, and the other two men—a policeman and a cowboy—began giving each of us our own special striptease.

My guy was indeed built like a construction worker, with bulging arms and a bulging red Speedo revealed as he removed each successive piece of velcroed clothing with a flourish. The crowd went wilder. The men did simulated sex acts upon us, letting us imagine their prowess in the bedroom. The other two bachelorettes really got into it, cupping their asses and caressing their oil-slicked six-packs. I just rolled my eyes and endured.

"Go Simone!" Beth was yelling in encouragement. I remained impassive.

Construction worker guy was having none of it. He saw my apparent immunity to his charms as a challenge to him. He pulled me up from the chair, grinding against me and running his hot human hands lightly up and down my back. From the audience's perspective, it must have looked like we were having sex standing up. He smelled of coconut oil, sweat, and cloying cologne, and when I tried to pull away, he just gripped me harder. Not a good idea. In hindsight, I'd say throwing the poor man off me and into the crowd was an overreaction, but instinct had kicked in and I'd lost control. I didn't want anyone grinding against me but Josef.

Women gasped and groaned under the weight of the man, and I was shocked at what I'd done. No one seemed to be hurt, thank God, but the music stopped and everyone was staring at the freakishly strong woman who had just thrown a man five times her size off the stage.

_Let's get the hell out of here, _came Carrie's urgent voice in my head, waking me up. I jumped off the stage, grabbed my purse and Beth's hand, half pulling her, half carrying her down the aisle and out the double doors at the back of the club. Carrie was way ahead of us. Outside in the cool air, away from the pressing bodies of warm women and steroid laden testosterone, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Beth and Carrie were laughing in delayed reaction as we began walking quickly back to Carrie's silver Lexus.

"Oh my God!" Beth was saying, wiping tears from her eyes, "you should have seen your face up there. I'm surprised you didn't kill the poor guy."

"I wanted to," I mumbled from my place in the back seat. "Or maybe I should just kill you two."

_Oh come on, Simone, you have to admit it was pretty funny, _came Carrie's French accent, still a little hard to get used to when her lips hadn't moved. She communicated telepathically, a side effect of being turned when she'd been mute as a human. For Carrie, with regard to communication, becoming a vampire had been a blessing.

"No, really. I appreciate the thought, but obviously you guys enjoyed it just a little more than I did."

"I'm sorry, Simone," said Beth. "I really thought this would be fun for you. I mean, you're about to commit to one man for literally eternity, I figured you'd want to say goodbye to all you'll be missing."

"You've seen Josef without a shirt. I won't be missing anything."

"Okay, okay. Geez. Well, the night is still young. You want to go somewhere else?"

_We could go to the bar. Drinks and blood on me. _Carrie and her husband Daryl owned a pub downtown that catered to vamps and humans alike—unknown to the humans, of course.

"Thanks, Carrie, but you know, I'd really like to just hang out, watch a video or something, just us girls. Would that be okay?"

"Sure," said Beth, completely supportive. "Whose house?"

_Mine's closest, I think,_ Carrie suggested.

"Cool. I've never been to your place, Carrie."

_And for that, I apologize, _Carrie was saying. _ That damn bar takes up so much of our time. Daryl and I put so much work into our home, but we're rarely there to enjoy it, ourselves, let alone have people over. God knows its big enough to house an army._

Beth had known Carrie longer than I had, but I liked her, and I was trying to make friends in this new world I'd entered. Beth figured I'd have a lot more in common with Carrie and Daryl now, since I was about to enter into my own vampire marriage. Carrie and Daryl had been together over fifty years; I could learn a lot from them.

"Mick told me you and Daryl remodeled part of an old warehouse downtown," replied Beth. "You did all that work yourselves?"

_Oui. Daryl loves working with his hands. Comes from being a longshoreman in his former life. He retrofitted the bar too. _

Not to mention that the guy was huge. He reminded me of pictures of gladiators, but with a face like a Greek god. I glanced quickly at Carrie, hoping it was true that she couldn't read minds and wasn't hearing how hot I thought her husband was. If she had, she didn't let on. Above all things, Carrie was a lady, but she was also a very old and powerful vampire, almost as old as Josef. Not someone I'd want to piss off.

We parked in the lot of what looked to be an abandoned warehouse from the outside, but once Carrie disabled the security system, we stepped into a true showplace. The old wood-beamed ceiling was two stories high, and a bedroom loft had been built on high with an antique spiral staircase leading the way up. Below, with only a small kitchen but a substantial bar area, the rest was all open living space. And they had only used half the building. Lights and ceiling fans hung from far above to the living level, and the room was comfortably cold. Scattered about the hardwood floor were several conversation areas, the furnishings leather and steel and modern. On one wall was a giant high-definition television screen. Two black leather easy chairs surrounded by two matching couches were pointed toward the screen, no doubt awaiting the man of the house and his guests for various sports viewing and gaming.

Carrie caught my eye, noticing my fascination with the entertainment area.

_Daryl and his football games. Any free time we have he spends right there. Sometimes he has the boys over. But if I want a cocktail party? No way. Bah! Men! But please, make yourselves at home. What can I get you to drink?_

"White wine if you have it," said Beth.

"Blood and vodka?" I asked hopefully.

_Awww…Josef's famous Bloody Carrie. Sure. Coming right up._

Since Carrie not only owned but occasionally bartended at her pub, the drink was excellent. Beth and I sat in front of the TV while Carrie stood at the built in DVD and game storage, naming off movies we might like. We all settled on the perennial favorite, _Pretty Women. _When the movie got going, it was like a movie theatre in there, what with the tremendous speaker system and great acoustics from the old warehouse. Carrie noticed Beth still wrapped in her light coat.

_Would you like me to turn the heater on? I'm sorry; Daryl and I never use it._

"It's not that bad. Although I wouldn't be opposed to a blanket if you have one."

She smiled and disappeared a moment, returning with a heavy throw. We settled down to chat and watch the movie.

"Anyone know what the boys are up to tonight?" I asked, hoping to get answers from them since Josef hadn't known either when I'd asked him yesterday.

_I was labeled a prying female when I asked Daryl, _pouted Carrie.

"And Mick said something about curiosity killing the human. But he promised me no freshies, so hopefully they won't be getting into too much trouble."

"Yeah that's what Mick told me," I said. "I guess I shouldn't feel guilty about the strip club. I'm sure the guys will be doing something along those lines."

"That's what I tried to tell you," Beth said. "This was your last night to cut loose. You're already acting like an old married woman."

"Ask me in twenty years who's old." The minute the words slipped out of my mouth, I was sorry I'd said them. Carrie cringed and planted her thoughts in _my _head, but not in Beth's.

_Oops. You'd better say something quick. She looks like she might cry._

"Oh, Beth. I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me. I either forget I'm a vampire or that you're not one. Really, no matter what happens, you'll always be beautiful, Beth. Please forgive me."

Her smile was a little watery, but Beth was usually quick to forgive. "Forget about it, really. I do envy you both in some ways. You'll always be young and beautiful and have forever with your men. But I'll always have the warmth of the sun, the richness of chocolate, the spiciness of Mexican food, and the possibility of children. I'd say I'm the lucky one here."

We quietly sipped our drinks, and I kept kicking myself for causing the awkwardness in the conversation. When the movie ended, I felt like it was a polite moment to take my leave.

"I'm sorry I've been such a downer tonight," I said, feeling suddenly close to tears. "I don't know what's wrong with me. This was really nice of you two to take me out and try to show me a good time. I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll just call a cab, Carrie, so you don't have to go out again."

_Nonsense. I can take you both home if you like. Or you can stay with me, Beth. This couch folds out into a bed…_

"No, it's after midnight now, and the human needs her beauty sleep." She winked at me to let me know she wasn't upset anymore.

_Very well. But I expect you both to dance all night at the wedding._

I smiled at Carrie. "I'm sure I'll be in a better mood on that night."

I had Carrie take me to Josef's since my house was all the way out to the beach. Niles let me in and I waved to my two friends as they drove away. I fully expected Josef still to be out, so I was quite surprised when his butler told me he was having a drink in his study. A quick sniff confirmed it.

Josef of course had heard and smelled me first, so the moment I entered his masculine domain, I walked into his arms and we just held each other. His lips pressed against my forehead, and I wrinkled my nose.

"Do I smell…fish?"

He chuckled softly. "Sorry. I haven't taken a shower yet. I just got in and I certainly didn't expect to see you tonight."

"And you smell like fish because…?"

"We went fishing, naturally."

"Oh. Naturally. Pardon me, but I didn't think it was _natural_ for vampires to go fishing."

He pulled back a little to look into my eyes. "Mick had arranged to take us out on my yacht for some night fishing and poker. It was a nice idea in theory…"

We sat on the couch and I kicked off my shoes, snuggling into his side while his arm rested around my shoulders.

"Why? Didn't you catch anything?"

He laughed ironically. "_I _didn't. Unless you count the broken glass in my Gucci's." He told the story of what he called _The Old Vampire and the Sea, _and he expressed his surprise that he could laugh about it now. Poker had also been a bust. Mick and Daryl had taken him for ten thousand dollars. "And how was your night, honey?" he concluded glibly.

It was my turn to be glib. "Well…I nearly killed a naked man and several innocent bystanders, and managed to horribly insult my best friend along the way. They should seriously ban us both from pre-wedding parties."

I told him of my own night's disaster, and we were both laughing about the strip show incident. As for Beth, he was highly sympathetic.

"Don't worry about Beth. She was only upset because the truth hurts. She's likely trying to make some of her own decisions regarding being turned, and you were just stating the obvious. I haven't said this to Mick, but I have a feeling that it will happen, one way or another. I'm sure she's already forgiven you. I mean, you're Thelma and Louise, remember? Only death could separate _them._"

I punched him gently in the arm. "Ha ha. Or death could keep Beth and I together forever, if you think of it that way. I know saying what I did was only my selfish, wishful thinking. I don't want to lose her, just like I let you turn me so I wouldn't lose you."

"She knows that."

"We really do have great friends, Josef. I don't know what we did to deserve them. I only hope we can both stop being so stupid and hold onto them."

"That's why they're the great ones, because they would forgive us anything. We, my dear, are the selfish, thoughtless, obnoxious friends, tolerated only because we are good for a laugh."

I turned my head to kiss his cheek. "You're probably right. The comic relief, that's what we are." We sat in companionable silence a minute, Josef taking sips of his brandy, while drawing lazy circles on my arm. My hand rested on his thigh, but it soon wandered a little farther north, idly unbuttoning his shirt from the bottom.

"You still smell like fish," I whispered.

"And you smell like coconut oil," he whispered back.

I looked up from my task and caught his eye, noticing the sparkle that indicated extreme mischief. He got up suddenly, and I landed unceremoniously on the floor, a very unladylike word falling from my lips.

"Last one to the shower is a rotten tuna!" He called childishly, and he raced with vampire speed out of the room, heading for the stairs. I shook my head and grinned after him, taking my sweet time joining him. Josef always liked to win; he was just funny that way.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed my foray into silliness. Next chapter, the friends head to Lake Tahoe. Please review. Pretty please?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry to wait so long between updates. Work, a cold, and my new obsession—_The Mentalist_ fanfics-have occupied most of my time lately. ( If you're a fan of that great show, check them out. There are a lot of great stories there.) But now, on with mine. This chapter is a pivotal one, so I caution you that there are some angsty times ahead. Thanks to all you great reviewers, even the anonymous ones. Keep 'em coming, no matter how you post! I love you all.

Chapter 4

MICK

Josef stopped the black Hummer in front of a gorgeous house overlooking South Lake Tahoe. It was early evening, and the sun was setting over the lake, the red sky tinting the snow pale pink where it lay heavily on the trees and the roof of the house. The wooden deck extended out from a hill, and the face of the house was all glass and redwood, the apex of it's a-frame rising dramatically into the darkening sky.

"Wow," Beth breathed, sitting beside me in the back seat of the luxurious though rugged SUV.

"Oh my God, Josef. Is this where you made arrangements for the wedding? It's beautiful!"

My friend grinned mysteriously, making no comments as he climbed out of the vehicle, his heavy boots crunching on the packed snow of the driveway. He went round to help Simone out, and I copied his actions with my own lady, holding her hand tightly lest she slip on the icy ground. Josef led the way up the newly shoveled stairs and let us in after punching numbers into the security system.

It was just as amazing inside, with its high ceilings and awe-inspiring views of the lake. A giant stone fireplace took up the one wall that wasn't all glass, and the only furniture was a few folding chairs facing the windows, a white wroght-iron, rose-covered canopy where the happy couple would say their vows. The great room was already decorated with roses, candles, and deep red ribbons for the wedding tomorrow evening.

"It smells heavenly in here," Beth said, smelling a blood-red rose from one of the gigantic arrangements at the front of the room.

"Nice cabin," I said to Josef, grinning because I was in on the surprise. In usual Josef style, his idea of a _cabin _was quite an understatement. This was truly a showplace.

Josef walked over to Simone, smiling at her as she stood at the window, staring out at the natural beauty in wonder.

"I don't know what to say. You never fail to amaze me." She pulled him into her arms for a kiss and hug of gratitude.

"I'm glad you like it because it's yours. Happy wedding, darling."

"What? No way! You bought this place?"

"Yep. Our home away from home."

As Simone squealed with glee, I watched Beth's reaction. She was grinning from ear-to-ear, obviously thrilled for her friend, impressed by Josef's romantic gesture. She reached for my hand and looked up at me. I felt the jolt I usually did when her eyes went all soft and misty with love. I had a feeling I'd have Josef to thank later for the romantic mood he'd put Beth in. I brought her hand to my lips and smiled back.

"Well, this is a perfect place for a wedding, Josef. I never would have pegged you for a romantic," Beth teased.

"It's a sound business investment," he said with a serious tone, but winked at his fiancé. "Why don't you girls go check out the rest of the house? I think you'll be impressed."

With a smacking kiss to Josef's cheek, Simone hurried over to Beth and pulled her away from me, excited to explore her new home. I joined Josef by the window and we stood admiring the view.

"You're really gonna do this huh? Make it permanent? You once told me forever is a long time. Any sign of cold feet?"

"I'm a vampire, Mick. My feet are always cold."

"Uh-huh," I said skeptically.

He turned to me then, all trace of joking gone from his eyes. "This is it, Mick. The real deal. I'm more than ready after four-hundred years to finally settle down, believe me."

"Except for those three lost years you refuse to talk about," I couldn't resist reminding him.

"Yep. And trust me, that doesn't even count at all. Less than a blip on the Josef Kostan timeline. Simone makes me happy. I make her happy—usually. What more could a vamp ask for?"

We both smiled at the joyful chatter of the ladies as they exclaimed over each new find.

"The girls sound like they like the house, "I told him, impressed. "You chose wisely."

"Thanks. I'm sure we'll be very happy here when we come for vacations. Oh, and you and your better half are always welcome. Except this trip, of course. I've got you put up at the Snowbound Lodge just down the road. Honeymoon haven and all, you understand. Take the Hummer and you and Buzzwire go do whatever it is you do for fun, and my bride-to-be and I will christen the place."

"I'm being dismissed then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Summarily."

The girls came back into the great room, arms linked conspiratorially, mischievous smiles lighting their pretty faces. They were definitely up to something.

"Okay. Boys—out." Simone had that stubborn, _my way is the only way_ expression that Beth often gets. This did not bode well for Josef and me.

"Come again?" Josef said.

"Simone has decided that we will maintain at least some traditions with this wedding. In this case, the one about not seeing the bride before the wedding. In a few hours, it'll be midnight, so off you go."

Josef and I looked at each other incredulously.

"You're kicking us out?" Josef asked in disbelief.

"How does it feel?" I asked softly. He ignored my smirk.

He sidled over to his fiancé, trying no doubt to charm her back into his bed. It was almost too embarrassing to watch. Beth came over to me, her small arms encircling my waist, her lips touching mine in faint apology. A few short minutes ago, when Josef had banished me, at least I knew I'd have a warm body to snuggle up to. Women were always changing the rules on us.

"Was this your idea?" I asked suspiciously.

"Not at all. It was a mutual decision. Simone and I want a relaxing evening of beauty and girl talk, mentally preparing ourselves for tomorrow, without any masculine interference."

"Interference?" This from Josef, mid-nibble on Simone's neck. By the dispassionate look on Simone's face, his powers of persuasion had obviously failed.

"Sorry, guys, but our minds our made up." The two women withdrew from us and linked arms again in satisfaction.

Josef sighed in frustration, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine. As long as I live, I'll never understand women. I mean, it's not like we hadn't _anticipated_ the wedding long ago. As recently as this morning, I might add—"

"Too much information, Josef—"

"Regardless, this is _my _house and—"

"Excuse me," Simone interrupted, "_whose_ house? Isn't this _my_ wedding present? Are you taking it back now?"

I chuckled at his dumbfounded expression. It was one of the few times I'd seen him at a loss for words. I distinctly remembered what it was like to be married to a strong-willed woman, not to mention being currently in love with another, and I completely empathized.

"Alright, alright, woman! We're going!"

"Could you bring in our luggage first?" Simone asked sweetly.

He gave a frustrated roar, but obediently stomped out of the house. At Beth's pretty smile, I smiled back goofily, following Josef out to do my own mistress's bidding. Her sweet lips mouthed _I love you, _ony my way out the door.

A few minutes later, and Josef was at the wheel of the SUV, sulking in silence while I rode shotgun.

"What's one night," I ventured, trying to comfort my friend, "when you have the rest of forever?"

He shot me a dirty look. "What are you so cheerful about? You won't be gettin' any tonight, either."

He had a point. A thought occurred to me. "Are there two freezers in the suite you reserved for me and Beth? I have a feeling that there won't be any other rooms available at Christmas."

"Yes. I got you the vampire honeymoon special. One bed, two freezers. Vincent is a friend of mine—we go way back. His lodge caters to both human and vamp clientele. We basically booked all the vamp suites, since the other three couples arrive tomorrow afternoon in time for the wedding that night. I guess we're roomies, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. You're not exactly the roommate I was hoping for, however…"

"Likewise. But you know what? We don't have to sit around crying in our blood. How 'bout a nighttime excursion? Skiing? No! I got it"—he snapped his fingers—"snowmobiles!"

"Really?" I couldn't hide my excitement. "Cool! Let's do it, man!"

And there we were, two vamps with time, snow, money, and a plan. It didn't get much better than that.

SIMONE

After Beth and I had given ourselves facials and done our nails, we ventured out to the side deck where the hot tub could be put to good use by my human friend. I sat in my bikini on the snow-covered bench nearby, sipping cold wine and enjoying my own kind of relaxation. I watched the steam rising from the water, inhaling the freshness of the air as the snow began falling gently around us. The night was surreal in its beauty.

"Do you miss things like hot baths?" Beth asked, sinking deeper into rolling bubbles.

"I miss the idea of them, but I have a new aversion to anything hot. It's weird, really, but being out here, nearly naked in the snow is like heaven to me now. It's tempting actually to go jump into the lake."

She laughed. "Maybe those polar bear club people you see every year jumping naked into icy lakes are really vampires."

"It wouldn't surprise me. I bet Josef would know."

"Speaking of the guys," Beth said, sharing a little in my guilt at their banishment. "You think they're alright without us?"

"Sure. There's plenty to do in Tahoe. I know Josef talked about night skiing, not to mention all the casinos just waiting for them. They're fine. Besides, you owe me after that disaster of a bachelorette party."

"Oh, come on. Carrie and I had a blast."

"Laughing at me, you mean."

"Well, you gotta admit, it—"

"Shhh!" I said, suddenly hearing the soft crunch of boots on snow.

"What is it?" Beth whispered. I held up a hand for her to stay quiet as I rose, sniffing the air. I smelled…humans. Maybe two of them, nearby.

"Hello?" I called out. "Anyone here?"

The footsteps stopped, and now I could distinctly hear the quick pounding of their hearts, very close now. My senses still weren't what they would one day be, but I knew the fact that they didn't answer with a friendly _hello_ was not a good sign. I wasn't afraid for myself; I could handle a couple of humans, I was sure.

"Beth. Go in the house. I'll investigate. Whoever they are, they're humans."

"No, Simone. You come too. We have a security system—"

"Go, Beth, please. I'll be fine." Reluctantly, she got out of the water, grabbing a towel and her robe from hooks on a nearby post. I tried to hone in on the heartbeats, but it seemed like they had split up. I glanced over at Beth, almost to the door. Without warning, I heard her muffled scream, but before I could move, I'd been encircled by strong human arms encased in a white snow jacket. Beth was struggling with her captor, one of his gloved hands covering her mouth as he held her from behind, and all I could think of was getting to my friend. Anger and frustration overwhelmed me as I morphed into vamp face, a surge of adrenaline causing me to throw off my attacker. I heard him fly off the deck, landing heavily against a tree before sliding down the trunk into the snow. His heartbeat abruptly stopped.

I advanced on Beth and the white ski-masked creep who held her, dragging her toward the front steps. The snow was whirling now, shining in the exterior safety light.

"Come with me quietly, and I'll let her go," he growled, his accelerated pulse accompanying the smell of his fear at what had happened to his companion, and what had happened to my teeth and eyes.

"No deal, asshole. Let her go, and I might not kick your ass."

"We weren't supposed to hurt you," he said, still trying to sound tough, despite his terror. "I just need you to come with me."

"Who are you? What do you want with me? Does this have something to do with Josef?"

By this time, he'd reached the top of the steps that led down to the driveway, and I knew he was purposefully trying to get me to follow him. I desperately tried to think of what I could do. I could break his neck with one sharp twist, but with him so tightly holding Beth, I didn't see a way to get to him without her getting hurt in the process. She seemed to realize this, and began struggling anew, her eyes pleading above his gloved hand. I shook my head, willing her to be still. But Beth was Beth, and she decided to take matters into her own hands. The railing near the steps was right behind them and Beth slammed his back against it. He grunted in shock and his hold must have loosened enough that she could pull out of his grasp. Then, everything began to happen as if in slow motion.

Beth's feet were still wet from the hot tub, and she couldn't get traction on the icy deck. Watching her, I knew beyond a doubt she was going to slip and fall. I jumped forward to catch her, but by then she was already falling down the steps with a sickening series of thumps.

"Beth!" I screamed, as her attacker's hands came out to hold my upper arms. My hands went instinctively to his neck, breaking it with a satisfying snap of bone. I let him fall where he was, then jumped to the bottom of the stairs to where Beth lay face up, eyes closed, body ominously still. Blood was flowing freely from the back of her head, seeping with shocking contrast into the white snow beneath her. I was overwhelmed by the scent of it, suddenly afraid of what I might do to her as the monster in me struggled for dominance. I turned my head away, taking deep breaths of the winter air, trying to calm myself.

"Snap out of it, Simone," I commanded myself aloud. "This is Beth." Somehow, I found the strength to resist my inner nature, my humanity taking over as I pulled her arms gently from the sleeves of her terry cloth robe. I bunched it up and held it to her bleeding scalp. I could still hear her heart beating, so I knew she was alive, but she wouldn't answer when I said her name.

I picked her up in my arms, walking carefully back up the stairs so I wouldn't slip with my own bare feet and injure her further. I took her in the house and into the den, pausing along the way to pick up my cell phone. I lay Beth gently on a couch, holding the robe tightly to her head. She still hadn't revived, but her heart still beat, weaker than before.

"Don't die on me," I said, while waiting for Josef to pick up. When he finally did, his voice was accompanied by the sound of a revved up motor.

"Hey, baby! Missing me already?"

"Josef—you have to get back here. It's Beth. There were two of them. They attacked us—"

The engine in the background shut off abruptly.

"What the hell? Attacked? By who?"

"No time to talk about this. Meet me at the hospital. She's in danger of bleeding out."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll be much better when you get here. Hurry!"

I hung up, then ran to slip on my jeans, shirt and snow boots. I found a blanket in a linen closet, then wrapped Beth in it for the journey. I grabbed another towel for her head. There were no other cars here, and I didn't think an ambulance or taxi could get there fast enough. I held her to my shoulder like a baby, holding her legs gently, glad she wasn't a tall woman. I went outside, my footing better in the boots, my confidence restored now with the thought that I was her fastest way to the hospital, that her life depended on me alone. At the foot of the stairs, I took off at a run, following the road back into town. I suddenly didn't find the snow to be so pretty, after all.

A/N: Yep, another cliffie—sorry to those who hate them, lol. I love to write them, and read them myself. More as soon as I can. Thanks in advance for all those wonderful reviews you're about to give me, especially you lurkers who have never reviewed before. I can predict that I'll love them, so don't be shy—leave a comment!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry again to those who dislike cliffies. I admit it is a blatant plot device, designed to get you to keep reading, and keep guessing, and maybe compel you to review. Thanks for hanging from that cliff for me . So now, we come to the angsty part of the story. I hate putting my beloved characters through this, but hey, not everything is rainbows and unicorns, right?

Chapter 5

MICK

Josef and I had had a grand time, doing jumps and slides on the snowmobiles he'd bought us. It was pitch dark, except for the light snow that had started falling, and we drove up and down the mountain, putting our vamp senses through a real workout, avoiding trees in the darkness, seeing how hard we could push the powerful machines we rode.

I was quite a ways ahead of Josef when I realized he wasn't behind me. I slowed down and listened, but couldn't hear his snowmobile. In the distance, I heard him talking, his tone urgent and clipped, but the loudness of my engine drowned out the exact nature of his words.

I made a u-turn in the powdery snow, revving my engine and going back up the hill toward the lights of his vehicle. I pulled up beside him just as he was putting his cell phone back in his pocket. I could tell in an instant he was tense and ready to explode, but his face belied that feeling. He put on his usual grin.

"What's up?" I asked cautiously.

"That was Simone. The girls changed their minds and want us to come back."

"Now? You're shittin' me."

"Well, you know women. I figured we'd better get back there before they change their minds."

"Come on! I was just starting to have fun—"

"Well, I'm anxious to get back. You know me, whipped like a masochist at a dominatrix party."

A wave of suspicion overcame me, and I instantly knew he was lying to me.

"What the fuck is going on, Josef?" I growled.

He stalled by restarting his snowmobile. "It's bad, Mick. We need to get out of here now. I swear, I'll tell you in the car." Without another word, he gunned the engine and sped off past me. I had no choice but to follow, my gut clenching in dread because I knew he was trying to protect me. _Oh my God. Something's happened to Beth. That's the only thing it could be that he wouldn't tell me straight up._

It took about ten minutes, even at top speed, to make it back down the mountain to the road where the Hummer was parked. The snow suddenly stopped, and the light of a full moon shone eerily on the snow. We hopped off the vehicles, Josef not even caring that we were just leaving behind two very expensive machines. He was already in the SUV, and didn't even wait for me to shut the door before he floored it, mindless of the ice and snow-packed roads. The chains on the tires clacked loudly at the unsafe speed, and we headed, not back toward his house, but toward the village of South Lake Tahoe.

"You'd better start talking," I said dangerously, my imagination already painting a plethora of horrible pictures in my head. Josef didn't look away from the road.

"I don't know all the details, but two men attacked the girls. Beth was hurt, and Simone is heading to the hospital with her."

I felt my dead heart drop to my stomach like a stone. I swallowed hard, trying to form the words. "How bad?" I whispered, shock setting in.

"Bad, Mick, I could tell by Simone's voice. That's why I didn't want to tell you until we got to the hospital." He risked taking his eyes off the road to glance at me, and the terror must have been written clearly on my face. "Don't freak out on me, man. We don't know anything yet."

Something filtered back into my frozen brain, and I belatedly asked: "Attacked? By who?"

"I don't know. Simone was too worked up to say. She was really in a hurry to get to the hospital though."

We sat in strained silence, and I had the insane desire to jump out of the Hummer and run the five miles into town myself. _Not Beth. Not __**my**__ Beth. _Those words repeated over and over in my mind, like the banging of a drum, like the heart that no longer beat in my chest. _Beth_._ Beth. Beth._ Her name was my heart now, pounding through me like it was about ready to burst.

"Jesus," I muttered, both a prayer and a curse, my hand clutching at my chest as if there were still something inside to grab hold of.

Thankfully, the lights of the city greeted us as we topped a rise, and Josef drove unerringly to the small hospital, apparently very familiar with the area. I jumped out of the Hummer before it fully stopped in front of the Emergency Room doors, sliding into the reception counter with a bang. I sniffed the air, and didn't even need to talk to the surprised nurse as I headed to a curtained cubicle, her harried call of "Sir!" going unheeded.

Beth's blood was as familiar to me as my own, and when I pulled back the curtain, I was inundated with the overpowering sensation that I was drowning in it. It was everywhere. A white towel and beige blanket lay discarded on a table, having soaked up the scarlet liquid like a sponge. It coated the white table upon which she lay, face down, while an intern sewed up a cut three inches long beneath her hair at the base of her scalp. I knew from experience that head wounds bled the most, and the carnage that greeted me certainly proved it. Her golden hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, and the young resident had only had to shave along the hairline. But her beautiful hair was matted with her blood, and her heartbeat was weak from blood loss. Tubes were connected to her arms, feeding her blood and other liquids. Machines monitored her vital signs, and I noted that everything seemed below normal.

The resident looked up at me. "Sir, you'll have to wait outside…"

_There's no fuckin' way._

"Mick," said Simone, suddenly right behind me, holding me back. I marveled distantly at her new-found strength. "Come on. Let him do his job."

I stepped back and she pulled the curtain again. I felt like it was Beth's shroud.

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked her, my voice trembling, my eyes trying to bore holes into the fabric.

"They managed to stop the bleeding, and they're giving her some blood. She hasn't woken up though. Mick…I'm so sorry…" I fleetingly caught her eye, but the blood on her white t-shirt drew my attention, and I looked hastily away. I felt sick.

Josef arrived then, and Simone let me go to move into her fiancé's arms. "I couldn't find a fuckin' parking space. I think they're having a Christmas party. Damn humans. I wonder if they'll overlook a Hummer in a handicapped space…"

I knew his meaningless chatter was designed to distract me, to calm me, but all I wanted to do was roar in pain and frustration.

"What the hell happened?" Josef was asking. Simone looked meaningfully at the curtain, indicating the human ears that could be listening. She answered at vampire level.

"Two men, dressed in white ski clothes, grabbed Beth and I outside the house on the deck."

"What were you doing outside the house?" Josef interrupted angrily.

She gave him a level look. "Beth wanted to use the spa. I was enjoying the cold. We're grown women, Josef. I killed both of them, but Beth slipped on the deck and—" her eyes landed on mine, as if preparing me for the worst—"and she fell down the stairs, head first." I cringed and shut my eyes against her sympathetic gaze.

"How did you get to the hospital?" I asked numbly.

"I ran."

My eyes flew to hers. "That was about eight miles."

"Yes. I knew I could be faster than any vehicle in this weather, on those roads. I ran through the woods mostly, following the road into town." Her hand was suddenly on my arm again, her eyes watery and pleading for forgiveness. "I didn't know what else to do, Mick."

I looked back at the curtain, trying to make sense of everything. "Thank you. I would have done the same."

Josef pulled her back into his embrace, kissing her hair. "You did good, baby. Now, did you recognize the men who attacked you?"

"No. But they were humans, Josef. And they only wanted me. Beth was just in the way. I asked if this had anything to do with you. I didn't get an answer. "

"Humans?" I said in disbelief. "What humans?"

"I've made a lot of enemies," Josef said solemnly. "I just can't think who recently. And certainly no one in Tahoe. Someone followed us here."

As we chewed on that thought, the ER doctor came by, nodding at us and pulling open the curtain.

I peeked in and saw that the intern was applying a bandage to Beth's head, then the two of them gently turned her over onto her back, stabilizing her neck with a foam brace.

"Is there something wrong with her neck?" I asked them, feeling close to panic.

"We don't know yet; it's just a precaution. We'll take her up to run some tests after she's stabilized." The doctor seemed calm and confident, his heartbeat steady. I guess I didn't have any choice but to trust him.

"Can I sit with her?" My hand darted out to touch her, and I could feel how unnaturally cold she was, even through the hospital blankets. _God, I missed her warmth_. Her face was pale as death, and a big bruise was already discoloring her cheek.

"Are you the next of kin?"

"Yes," I said immediately. "She's my wife."

Josef and Simone showed no surprised reaction to my claim, a testament to their own quick thinking.

I pulled up the only chair and sat next to the woman I already thought of as my wife, taking her limp hand in mine.

"Mick, we're going back to the house to check things out," Josef said softly. "Call if there's any change. You okay here alone?"

I nodded absently, knowing I should be chomping at the bit myself to track down who'd done this thing, but my overriding concern was for Beth, and I found myself physically incapable of leaving her.

"Or, I could stay with her," Simone offered, "if you want to go with Josef. You have more experience tracking than me…"

"No. You go. I want to be here when she wakes up."

Simone and Josef exchanged a worried glance, but seemed to understand my desires. She walked over and kissed my cheek, then leaned over and tenderly brushed Beth's hair from her forehead.

"I'll get them, Beth. I swear to God I'll make whoever hired those animals pay with their blood." Simone's cheeks were wet with her tears, and I knew she had it in her to do exactly what she promised.

Josef tentatively touched Beth's other hand, a tenderness I'd rarely seen filling his eyes. "Wake up, Blondie. We need that special Buzzwire instinct of yours to catch these guys." My eyes shot to her face, as if his encouraging words would get through to her, and I'd suddenly see her sparkling blue eyes looking back at me. I was disheartened to see my friend's sad expression, which he quickly covered up with a self-deprecating grin. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"She never likes to take orders, least of all from me. We'll be in touch, buddy. Hang in there."

Then they were gone, and Beth and I were alone. I brought her hand up to my lips, like I'd done on countless occasions, but not feeling her answering, reassuring squeeze finally had me at my emotional limit. I felt the tears forming in my eyes as I stared at her motionless form, so small and pale against the hospital white sheets. Unbidden, a vision of Sarah Whitley came to my mind, Josef's beautiful lover who had languished in a coma for more than fifty years, before he'd let her go just a few months ago.

"Don't do this to me, sweetheart," I whispered, holding her small hand like a lifeline, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest. "Don't leave me." I reached out and traced her sweet lips with my fingers, willing them to speak, to tell me to snap the hell out of it because I was teetering on the edge here.

"You asked me once why I didn't just end it all, why I held on when I hated what I was. It's because of you, Beth. From the moment I saved you as a little girl, you became my reason for living. And if you leave me now, like this…oh God…"A sob tore through me, and a pain like I'd never known slammed into me like a truck. I laid my head on her chest, her heartbeat filling my ears, knowing that its light but steady pounding was what was keeping us both alive.

"Mr. Turner?" I looked up at the doctor as he stood in the cubicle, clipboard in hand. I self-consciously wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands, sitting up from my pitiful position.

"It's St. John, actually. She uh, kept her maiden name."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically, but didn't question my words. "We'll be taking her up in a minute for an MRI. We need to see why she isn't coming to. She obviously hit hard, several times in the same place as she fell down the stairs. The blood loss definitely didn't help matters. We'll get her to a private room afterwards, try to make her as comfortable as we can."

I nodded, afraid to ask the questions I wanted to. _Is she going to wake up? And what will I do if she doesn't?_

JOSEF

The bodies of the two men lay right where Simone had killed them. I swelled up with pride at my bride's efficiency—both dead, with little blood loss. The light snow that had fallen right before and since the attack had partially covered both their footprints and their scents, but we managed to track them through the woods, the moonlight helping us even though we could see well had it been pitch dark.

We didn't have to track them far. Their trail led through the trees behind the house, then about half a mile down the road to a white SUV parked in the driveway of a boarded up summer house.

"They obviously didn't know you were a vampire," I said to Simone as we tried the vehicle's doors, only to find them locked. I fished out the keys I'd taken off one of the bodies. "They would have known you can't sneak up on a vampire."

"No, I sensed them before they got to the house. Except for their white clothing, they didn't try anything out of the ordinary to hide from me."

"And it's funny they had no weapons," I mused. "No stakes. No silver. No machetes. Not even a gun. They obviously thought they'd have no trouble with you." I couldn't help grinning at her proudly.

Inside the SUV we found a formal picture of Simone in business attire, likely taken from her old law firm's website. A digital camera held pictures from yesterday, of us boarding my private jet in LA, as well as pictures of the cabin, taken as they drove by. The Hummer had been parked in the driveway.

"I was right. They followed us from LA."

In two duffel bags, we found their wallets and return plane tickets, along with enough personal items for an overnight stay. Neither of us recognized the names on the ID's. In the backseat was a roll of duct tape, a kidnapper's best friend for restraining their victim. The glove compartment yielded car rental receipts and real paydirt—a cell phone. I redialed the last number received.

A familiar, feminine voice answered curtly: "Did you get her?"

I looked over at Simone, her eyes wide with shocked recognition. I tried to make my voice sound neutral, unrecognizable. "Yeah. Now what?"

"Take her to the safe house, and I'll be there as soon as I can," the woman replied, talking to me as if I were an idiot.

Ahh…so that was the plan. Abduct Simone and keep her safe. I needed to find out exactly where.

"Uh…I've lost the address. What was it again?"

"Three-fifty-two North Pine, you moron! Now get your asses over there with her right now. And if you harm a hair on her head you'll get nothing, you hear me?"

She hung up, and I slowly lowered the phone, shaking with rage, hovering on the verge of completely vamping out.

"That bitch," I growled. "She's a dead woman."

I recovered my wits enough to look at Simone, trembling with a different emotion, her hands covering her face in despair.

"Oh, God, Mother," she wailed. "Why?"

It was in that moment I realized, as I gathered her into my arms, that I was to blame for this—the attack, Beth's fall—everything. I had threatened Simone's mother, and in a fit of righteous anger, I'd flashed my fangs at her, even had gone so far as to taste her blood—all without Simone's knowledge. Elise Walker was just trying to save her daughter from marrying a monster. Little did she know her daughter had become a monster herself. Had I been in her shoes, I would have done the same thing, only worse.

"I'm sorry," said Simone into my chest, "I can't believe she went this far, that's she disapproves of you this much. How am I going to make this up to Mick, if Beth…if Beth…"

She couldn't finish the horrible thought that was front and center in both our minds. I just stood there, holding her, unable to find the words to speak. If Beth died, it would be all on me, because I'd broken the cardinal rule of the vampire community. I'd given myself away, on purpose, without consideration of the consequences. Well, the consequences had followed us to Lake Tahoe.

The dragon lady's controlling, mental manipulation of Simone was no excuse for what I'd done, but goddammit, she'd had it coming! Okay, I'd gone about it a little heavy-handedly, but I'd always had great luck with intimidation and threats before. I'd forgotten for a minute who I'd been dealing with. I guess the only thing I could do now was try to fix this. And pray to God, for the first time in centuries, that Beth would be okay.

A/N: Hope this answers some questions but still leaves you with enough to keep reading. Good job to those who predicted Elise was behind the attack. That lady just won't go away! More soon. Please let me know how I'm doing ;).


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: First, thanks to all you great reviewers. A special welcome to those of you new to my writing who are taking the time to read my old stories and comment on them. I never get tired of hearing your opinions. This chapter might have been up sooner, but I really struggled with it. It still is not exactly the way I wanted it, but I guess I won't keep you waiting because of my perfectionist tendencies. I may go back someday and rework it, but for now, I bring you: "The Confrontation, " lol. I hope you like it.

Chapter 6

JOSEF

We drove the white SUV belonging to the foiled kidnappers back to the house, and started hashing out our plans. I'd called the local Cleaners, and they would have the place put back to rights before we got back home, as if no blood had been spilled anywhere on the property. For this I was glad, given the frozen pool of it at the bottom of the steps, a strong reminder to Simone and me of our friend in the hospital.

I changed into the ski suit of the taller guy, pleased that it fit perfectly. I wrapped the duct tape around Simone's wrists behind her back, then pulled off a strip to put across the mouth of my new prisoner.

"No way," she said, turning her head petulantly. "That's gonna hurt like hell when it's torn off."

"Quit being a baby. You're a vampire, now, remember? You have a very high pain tolerance. Besides, you gotta let me get a _little_ fun out of this."

"We can play out your little S and M fantasies later, _after_ I kill my mother."

We stood in the dark beside the SUV, and I reached up a sympathetic hand to brush back the blonde hair that had fallen in her face. "Hey," I said seriously, "you don't have to do this, you know. Go back to the hospital and be with Beth."

"I promised Beth I would take care of it." I knew from her tone there would be no arguing with her. "Did you call Mick while I was changing?" She'd changed the shirt stained with Beth's blood, and I marveled that she had kept it together while being exposed to so much human blood as such a young vampire. I'd never seen a newbie have such control. I adjusted her ski jacket around her. It was pleasantly cold outside, but human Simone would be wearing a jacket in this weather. I left it unzipped, however, to provide some relief against the insulating down.

"Josef?" She prompted, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, I called him. I told him we had a lead we were checking out. I didn't tell him it was Elise."

"Why not?"

I kissed her forehead and stepped away, opening the door to the backseat. If I'd kidnapped her, she wouldn't be riding in the front seat, and we needed to have every illusion that Elise's plan had worked. Also, the mundane movement gave me time to think. I'd told Mick I'd threatened Elise in New York, and he hadn't been too happy with me about that. He'd said it was risky. If I told him she was the one responsible for Beth's injuries, some of his blame would rightly fall on me. Selfishly, I wasn't ready to face that yet, even though it was just putting off the inevitable. I'd only recently been on the wrong side of Mick's ire, and it wasn't a position I was looking forward to experiencing again so soon.

"He's so upset about Beth right now, I didn't want to add to it with this little tidbit. I know we'll have to tell him eventually, but he's where he should be. We can handle this."

"I guess you're right," she said with a sigh. "How's Beth? Any change?"

I felt like a double agent, hiding secrets from the two people who trusted me the most. Mick said Beth had slipped into a coma, that one of the back lobes of her brain was bruised, and this, combined with massive blood loss, had put a terrible strain on her petite body. The doctor didn't know whether this was only temporary. The obvious comparison to Sarah remained unspoken between us, but I felt Mick's fear acutely, even over the phone. And if Simone were coming with me to confront her mother, she needed her thoughts clear and focused, not dwelling on her best friend's dire prognosis.

"She's still not awake," I hedged instead, pulling the white knit ski mask down over my face, taking her arm to help her into the backseat. She was silent in her grief, and I searched for something to say to get her mind off Beth for a minute.

"Why do I feel like Han Solo in stormtrooper armor?" I muttered, grinning to myself beneath the mask.

"And that would make me Chewbacca, right? Gee, thanks. Logan would pee his pants if he were in on this one," Simone said, chuckling suddenly at the thought of the _Star Wars_ freak, who once gave himself the code name _Lando Calrissian._

"Yeah. Only we're definitely not rescuing a princess." The brief levity had eased the tension a bit, but my words hung in the air. That Elise Walker was no princess was an understatement; she was more like…Darth Vader.

I took the strip of duct tape I still held and, before Simone could protest, slapped it gently across her mouth, smoothing it over her cheeks. I kissed her on the silver colored tape where her lips would be, grinning at her muffled protests, then hopped into the driver's seat. I plugged in the street address of Elise's so-called safe house into the built-in GPS, then was pleased to see it was only a couple of miles around the lake. She certainly had the cajones, to have tried to hide her daughter so close to my house.

"We'll be there in a few minutes, sweetheart," I said, unsure whether this information was a comfort or not.

After a few grunts that sounded suspiciously like expletives, I felt reassured that she was more annoyed than frightened. She would need that agitation to get through the ordeal to come without breaking down.

I tsked at her in the rearview mirror. "Language, Simone. I mean, it's not like we're making love here." I was treated to a dagger-like gaze and more unintelligible curses.

The Pine Street house was a nondescript little cottage, set back from a road that ran perpendicular to the lake. It didn't look to be much bigger than a thousand square feet, but still must have cost a fortune, being this close to the lake. Still, it was plain enough not to attract attention—a perfect place to hide a kidnap victim. I pulled into the driveway, noting there was one small light shining through the blinds of the front room. If Elise had brought a car, it must be parked down the street or inside the small garage.

"You ready?" I asked, catching Simone's eyes in the mirror.

She nodded, her eyes wide with dread. I knew the feeling. While I would gladly rip Elise Walker's head from her body, this was not nearly as cut and dried as it might seem. I had no idea how things would go down, but Simone and I had agreed that her mother was going to pay, one way or another.

I got out of the vehicle and opened the back door, roughly handling Simone should we have an unseen audience. The walkway hadn't been shoveled, and I noted the small boot prints leading to the door. I could sense Elise was just on the other side of the door, having tasted her blood and unwillingly committed it to memory. I knocked hard, once, holding Simone in place before me. She remained still, like a good little prisoner.

The door opened, and Elise stood before us, wearing a blue cashmere sweater, designer jeans tucked into high, black boots, platinum blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail. She was a stunning woman. It was a shame she was a kidnapping bitch.

Simone made a good show of widening her eyes in mock surprise.

"Oh, Simone!" She gasped, pulling her bound and gagged daughter into her arms. "Thank God!" She looked at me suspiciously. "You didn't hurt her, did you?" Elise asked me.

I still had hold of Simone's arm, and dragged her on inside the house, pushing her none too gently into the white, overstuffed couch. I did this just to further piss Elise off, though not with nearly enough force to hurt a vampire. I didn't answer her question.

"What's with the mask?" Elise asked me, not hiding her annoyance at my rough treatment of her daughter. She also didn't like to be ignored.

"Kidnapping is a federal crime, lady. I'd like to make it harder to be indentified later." I spoke in the same emotionless voice I'd used with her on the phone. She must not have known her employee too well; I'd passed her brief inspection.

"Get this tape off of her."

I squatted down by Simone, turning her around and pulling the tape apart at her wrists as if it were thread. Elise didn't even notice. I'm sure she assumed I was using a knife.

"Where's your partner? I seem to recall hiring two of you." she asked me as I gently began pulling the tape off Simone's mouth.

"He pussied out at the last minute, " I grunted.

"Well, I'm only paying for one of you then. Don't expect to get his share too." I should have killed her just for that, the ungrateful bitch.

"Shit!" muttered Simone as the tape pulled at her skin. I had jerked the tape off all at once, and she gasped in pain, her hate-filled eyes momentarily directed at me. I had to control my laughter.

"You've finally gone too far, Mother, don't you think?" said Simone, rubbing her cheeks. She spoke through tight lips, jaw set in barely controlled rage.

"I'm sorry for the method, darling, but it was necessary. I knew you wouldn't—or couldn't—come voluntarily. This is for your own good, believe me. Desperate situations require desperate measures."

"What desperate situation? I'm marrying the man I love, who loves me. What you're doing is rash—_criminal_, in fact. So unless you plan to kill me, you'll never stop me from marrying Josef."

I watched silently as Elise went for her purse sitting on the coffee table. She reached in and pulled out a sharply pointed, wooden stake.

"What if I kill _him_?" said Elise, her voice deadly calm and determined.

Simone was taken aback, fearful herself of what a stake can do to a vampire, and no doubt wondering why, of all weapons, her mother would have chosen this one. She tried covering her disconcert with a humorless laugh.

"A wooden stake? You're kidding me."

"That's what you use on a…_vampire,_" she hissed ominously.

There was a frozen silence, and Simone's shocked eyes locked on me, then flitted away before Elise could notice. Simone's reaction should have been a chuckle of disbelief, but she was so taken off guard by her mother's accurate assessment, that she just sat there, speechless. Her mother approached her, eyes narrowed, stake still firmly clutched in her hands.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"What do you mean?" Simone said at last, feigning ignorance, trying to salvage the situation. "Josef may earn a lot of money, but he's not a bloodsucker."

_Well, that was a matter of opinion. _ I smirked inside my mask.

"No, I mean literally," replied Elise in frustration. "He. Is. A. Vampire. A creature of the night. A demon from Hell. He showed himself to me back in New York. His eyes turned silver, and long, pointy fangs came out of his mouth. And he…_licked _my bloody hand." She shivered at the memory.

Simone unintentionally shot a surprised glance my way. _Damn. _ This really wasn't the way I'd wanted it to come out. I should have known Elise would have wasted no time blabbing, despite my extremely firm warning. I stood stoically aside, a good soldier in waiting, trying to stay in character. I admired the way Simone quickly pulled herself together, although I knew I'd have some explaining to do later.

"You think my fiancé is Lon Chaney? That's why you kidnapped me? You seriously need professional help, Mother."

"You mean he hasn't shown you who he is? He's deceiving you. Corrupting you with his evil intentions. I took you away from him to save you. Now I have you safe, I'll send Jones here back to finish him off. With this." She nodded toward me, then brandished the stake like it was Excalibur.

Humans watched way too many movies.

"Would you put the goddamn stake down, Mother!" Simone yelled suddenly, rising to her feet. I could feel her tightly coiled rage just beneath the surface.

Elise leaned in closer to look at her daughter, not fearful at all at Simone's escalating anger. But even in the dim light, I could see Simone's eyes taking on a silvery cast. _Settle down, baby, _I thought, wishing I had Carrie Morgan's ability to throw my thoughts to Simone's mind.

"Simone? What's wrong with your eyes?" She stumbled back in horror, realization dawning on her at the familiar sight of a vampire's steely gaze. "Oh, my God! He got to you! He made you one of them!"

It was all I could do to remain calm, because the plan was to find out what Elise was up to and put a stop to it. As much as Simone and I talked about killing her mother, I knew there was no way Simone could do it. She would hate herself the rest of her long life, and she would hate me more if I did it, whether she admitted it or not. Don't get me wrong-I would gladly break Mommy Dearest's neck and suck her dry. But could I have done that to my own mother? Not after being a vampire less than a year, I couldn't. But then again, if Beth died, all bets were off.

Simone allowed herself to totally vamp out now, and it was a pleasure to see the look on her mother's face. She slowly advanced on her, Elise's eyes like saucers as she backed away, holding up the stake defensively.

"Listen, you bitch. I should kill you right now for what you've done. When your goons attacked me, they put Beth in the hospital, fighting for her life. If she dies, I will have no qualms in draining you dry, do you hear me?"

" I'm sorry about Beth." She rounded on me. "I told you not to hurt anyone. That's why you weren't supposed to have weapons—"

"Don't worry, Mom," I said, "I haven't hurt anyone—yet." I traded the ski mask for my true face, fangs and all.

Elise stared at me in shock, then looked from her daughter to me and back again. "You're both…_monsters_," she breathed, and I was pleased by the rapid pounding of her heart, the smell of her fear. But Elise was a ballsy woman—which is why she was such a successful lawyer, and she suddenly snapped out of her daze. She still held a weapon, and while she might not know the true power it had on a vampire, she didn't seem to be afraid to use it now. Simone was momentarily distracted by me, which was just enough time for Elise to jab the stake at her daughter. In an instant, I was behind the bitch, pulling her away by the shoulders before she could sink the pointed weapon into her chest. The stake dropped to the hardwood floor with a clatter. Simone looked down at the nick the stake had caused, blood seeping through the hole in her sweater, just below her heart.

She bared her fangs and gave a hiss of fury and pain, walking back toward where I held the vainly struggling woman.

"This was my favorite sweater, Mother!" And with that, she backhanded Elise across the cheek, the hard smack echoing in the room. She slumped in my arms, out cold.

I looked at my fiancé, loving her more in that moment than in all the others combined.

"Thanks," I said with a grin, "I needed that."

TBC

A/N: I hope this was satisfying for all you Elise haters out there. But don't worry, they're not finished with Mommy Dearest yet. Next chapter, we'll look in on Beth and Mick. Until then, I hope you are inspired enough to post a review. It would mean the world to me!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I know some of you have been wondering how Mick and Beth are doing. Well, here's your update! Thanks for those who continue to read and review. If you review anonymously, please be aware that I can't respond to you unless you log in when you post. But I'm not picky—review as much as you want .

Chapter 7

MICK

They moved Beth into ICU, and I sat by her side, listening to the soft pounding of her heart, the echoing beeps from the machine's monitor of her pulse. I heard each distinct drop of her IV, and each light breath she took from the oxygen at her nose. The combination of sounds filled my ears and my brain, tormenting me to the brink of insanity, but I could not leave. My eyes were red and dry, my skin tight from lack of blood and sleep, but I could not eat, could not rest.

It had only been a day, but I could not push the vision of a life without her from my mind, and a fear like I had never known engulfed me. And then, unbidden, a thought finally did interfere with the horrible idea of my future; it was a memory of a past conversation with Beth, right after Josh had died.

_What if it were me lying there instead of Josh seconds before death? Would you have saved me?_

_I would have done the same thing._

I had told her this, knowing in my dead heart that I wasn't really sure of that at all, even then. And now, faced with the possibility that she might never come out of this coma, my old judgments and protestations seemed hollow and meaningless compared to the thought of a life without her. My mind was suddenly awhirl with what I was actually contemplating. I looked down at Beth's angelic face, keenly aware that it was missing something. The roses were gone from her cheeks, and her lips were pale and dry. Was this how she would look as a vampire? I squeezed her hand for reassurance, relieved at the warmth I still felt there, despite her deathlike appearance. Could I turn her? Make her blood run cold and her heart stop its comforting reminder of her humanity? But then again—could I let her lay in this bed and waste away into a lifeless shell?

"She wouldn't hate you if you turned her."

I'd sensed Josef the minute he'd gotten off the elevator to the ICU unit, and somehow he'd bypassed the one visitor rule. He'd probably promised to build a new wing to this hospital. I didn't look up at his arrival, my eyes still glued to Beth. Of course, he could always read my mind anyway.

"You don't know that for sure, Josef."

"She loves you. That much I know. She's going to understand if you felt that was the only way to save her."

I looked up at my friend then, wishing I had his certainty.

"She's not Sarah, Josef. She doesn't want to become a vampire."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes. She wants children. She wants a normal life—"

"That's why she hangs out with vampires, right?" There was a glimmer of his old smirk, but it came and went in an instant. I sighed, running my hands through my hair in frustration.

"I haven't given up on her," I said. "She's still in there, I can feel it. She's just damaged right now, and her body is healing…"

"I hope you're right. But neither one of you can live this way forever. Don't let her malinger too long, Mick. It's safe to say that's something she wouldn't want, don't you think?"

"She's a fighter. She's fighting this."

"But what will you do, should it come time to make a decision?"

The answer came to my mind, crystal clear, and I said the words just as they were forming in my brain. "I'll turn her, if it comes to it. I've found that I'm suddenly very selfish where she's concerned. I'll deal with her anger, her hatred, if I have to. And I'd be there for her, like you've taken care of Simone. It _can_ work, I see that now." Once those words were out, I knew them to be true. A strange combination of relief and dread overtook me, but I'd meant what I said.

Josef was looking at me as if he'd never seen me before.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my self-loathing friend?" This time he did smile, and his hand went to my shoulder in understanding.

"There's a big _if _attached to that, Josef. There's still a chance she'll come out of this okay."

"Well at least you're willing to think sensibly."

I looked back at Beth, my new feeling of resolve easing my fear somewhat. This wouldn't have to be the end for us, if she died. As long as she still had brain waves, I could heal her with my own blood. She would be Beth again. Not exactly _my Beth_, but a stronger, more resilient Beth. One more likely to survive such things as falling down icy stairs. Speaking of which…

"That lead you had, with the attackers—anything come of it?"

Josef hesitated, infinitesimally. "Yeah, Simone and I tracked down their employer. We're dealing with them, don't you worry."

"But who—?"

We both caught scent of Simone at the same time, and she appeared at the door, an insulated coffee cup in her hand. I could smell it wasn't coffee, and my stomach lurched in hunger. She handed it to me, and I accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks. I'm starved."

She smiled softly, taking Josef's hand automatically. I closed my eyes in envy, hiding behind my cup of blood.

"Any change?" Simone asked, her voice laden with concern.

"No. She's still deeply under. But I haven't stopped hoping she'll pull through alright." She reached her spare hand out to touch my arm.

"Of course not. We're all hopeful. As a matter of fact, the gang's all here, in the downstairs waiting room, sending up lots of positive energy."

I looked at her blankly a minute. _Shit. _ She was talking about her wedding guests. Daryl, Carrie, Guillermo, Logan, and their dates were all here, ready for a happy occasion. It was cool of them to come to the hospital in support of Beth and me. My eyes watered a little and I blinked rapidly. I was such an emotional wreck.

"Oh, God. It's Christmas Eve, isn't it? This was supposed to be your wedding day. I'm sorry, I've been so wrapped up in Beth—"

"Say no more. You know I can't marry this guy without my best friends standing up for us. I've barely thought of it, honestly. I'm just so worried about you two. You _should_ be focusing on Beth, but taking care of yourself also. She'd kill me if she thought I'd let you miss too many meals. Tell you what- I'll sit with her while you go eat some more and hit the freezer for awhile."

The offer was tempting, but I knew there was no way I could sleep when Beth was lying here like this.

"I'm not leaving the hospital, but I might go downstairs and see everybody, maybe step outside for some cold air. Thanks, Simone."

Impulsively, I gathered her trim form into my arms, hugging her tightly, realizing how much I had been needing the physical comfort. Her soft hair was heavenly against my cheek, and I allowed myself to imagine—only briefly—that this was Beth I was holding. But while Simone smelled and felt lovely, this wasn't Beth's delicate scent of roses, and Simone was much taller, so I couldn't tuck her head gently beneath my chin. I awkwardly released her, smiling sheepishly at both my friends, who looked on me with something akin to pity. I didn't blame them much—I _was_ acting pretty pitiful.

Simone kept hold of my arms and looked into my eyes. "It's going to be alright, Mick. I know it. But I want to tell you something. Something Beth said a couple weeks ago. She made me promise not to tell you or Josef, but I think she'll forgive me, given the circumstances."

My interest was piqued, mainly because I was so hungry to hear Beth's words again, even secondhand. I glanced at Josef, obviously curious himself. I cleared my throat.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It was the night of that case she and I worked on. On the way to your place, she told me how you two were putting off major relationship decisions until she was thirty."

I nodded. This was true.

"She told me that she could see herself changing her mind about wanting to be turned before then. That seeing how well I've adapted, she was less afraid about the possibility. I tell you this now because if it comes to that"-she wiped at the tears that had gathered at her eyes-"I know she would want to be with you, no matter what. And as for me, Mick. Well, I want you to know that the way I was turned, by the man I love, it was beautiful. And having his support and teaching has made it much easier than it was for you or Josef. It could be that way for Beth, if you have to make that decision."

I stared at her in shock. Beth hadn't mentioned these feelings to me, maybe because I had always been opposed to turning her. But these were extraordinary circumstances, and I'd never been in this position before. Beth had never been in this position before. Beth's words gave me new confidence that saving her by any means would be the right decision. I hugged Simone again, this time in gratitude.

"Thank you," I breathed into her hair. "I needed to hear that." I pulled back and gave her a ghost of a grin. "And don't worry. Beth has a very forgiving nature. I think she will forgive us both, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Simone smiled through her tears.

Josef cocked an _I told you so _eyebrow at me. I didn't know whether I wanted to punch him or hug him too, but I settled for an answering eyebrow before going over to Beth. I leaned down and kissed her cool lips, my fingers finding a smooth curl, which I also brought to my lips. "No matter what happens," I whispered. "I'm not gonna lose you, you hear me?"

Suddenly, I felt a brief jolt, as if she really _had_ heard me. Maybe it was true about comatose people being able to actually hear when loved ones talk to them. "I love you, sweetheart," I told her, just in case she was listening.

BETH

The darkness enfolded me like a warm blanket, and I floated through it, like a dream. Strange sounds surrounded me. Familiar, anxious voices agitated me, but I wasn't sure why. I knew Mick, Josef, and Simone were there, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Their words were muffled and meaningless, and I struggled to understand. But it was like a heavy weight had settled upon me, pushing on my throat and my chest, rendering me unable to speak or move. Was I dead? Was this a bad dream?

I had no idea where I was, but the darkness seemed real. The brief cool touches on my skin felt real. The dull ache in the back of my head felt real. Then, I heard Mick speak to me, right into my ear.

_I'm not gonna lose you, you hear me? I love you, sweetheart._

Lose me? How could he possibly lose me? _I'm here Mick! You'll never lose me!_

My response formed in my head, but the words wouldn't go to my lips. The weight was still there, but it seemed lighter somehow, had lifted just enough to hear Mick's beautiful baritone. I felt comforted by the sound, enfolded now in the warmth of his love for me. And I drifted off again into the darkness…

TBC

A/N: In the next chapter, the two main stories will merge—or maybe _crash_ is a better description. Hope to see you then. Thanks for the kind reviews I know you're about to write.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I had hoped to get this chapter out earlier in the week, but life and work kept interfering. Anyway, here's a weekend read for you. And thanks as always to all you wonderful readers and reviewers, even the anonymous ones. Your kind words are so encouraging!

Chapter 8

MICK

When I got off the elevator, there they were, my best friends. The first one to run and hug me was Carrie, whose softly accented words filled my mind with comfort.

_Oh, Mick. I am so sorry. But we have to believe that Beth will be okay. __**I**__ believe, mon ami._

She kissed both my cheeks, then handed me off to Daryl. He gave me his usual bear hug, going easy on the ribs since he was feeling sorry for me, which actually made me grin a little.

"Anything I can do for you, man, you know I will."

"Thanks. I know," I said, wishing there really was something, but grateful he was here for moral support.

Guillermo shook my hand, the other hand going up to my shoulder. "You find who did this, I'll personally rip his head off for you, or any other part ya want. Just say the word."

"You'll have to get in line," I muttered, a sudden wave of anger overtaking me. Up until this point, I'd been so focused on Beth, I had let Josef and Simone handle the tracking details. Now, with my mind made up about how I would save her, I felt the old, familiar PI instincts kicking in. Questions flooded my mind, and I was suddenly anxious to get back to Josef for some answers. It occurred to me that he was holding out on me, protecting me against more bad news, I imagined.

"Mick!" I was all but tackled by Logan, who embraced me in a slightly embarrassing, less than manly way, refusing to let go even after more than an appropriate amount of time had passed. I dropped my arms, hoping he'd get the hint. He did, finally, and I met the twinkling eyes of my other friends, who were trying hard not to laugh. "I can't imagine what you're going through," he said, pulling away to a more comfortable distance, his eyes slightly watery. "If it had been Stacy…"

"Yeah, thanks, Logan. Speaking of Stacy—where are she and Caridad, Guillermo?" I realized their girlfriends weren't in the waiting area.

"They didn't want to intrude. I guess they thought this was more of a family affair. They're back at the lodge, no doubt getting a spa treatment. They send their best, though."

_Family._ I guess that's what we were. I looked around at the unrelated faces of my family.

"I'm really glad you guys are here," I said with feeling. I cleared my throat. "So, what did Josef tell you about the kidnappers?"

Daryl looked a little uncomfortable at my question, but the others shrugged and looked as clueless as I felt.

"Josef said he tracked the kidnappers to an SUV parked down the road from his house," Logan answered. "That's all he told _me_, anyway."

I didn't miss the jealous glance he threw Daryl's way, confirming that Daryl knew something but wasn't telling. Well, if Josef wasn't forthcoming, I knew who I'd try to shake down for more information.

_Don't worry about it. We'll help Josef find who hired them, and gladly dismember and disembowel them with our bare hands._

Carrie never was one to mince words. I smiled into her eyes, nodding in agreement.

I reached into my pocket for my cell phone, then dialed Josef's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Josef, could you ask Simone to stay with Beth awhile? I'd like to do some investigating into whoever hired Beth and Simone's attackers."

He hesitated, and I was beginning to get very pissed off. "Mick, you should be up here with Beth, not worrying about the scumbag who did this."

"Get your ass down here right now, Josef, and tell me just what the fuck is going on here! Daryl looks like he's going to break his jaw from trying so hard not to say anything, Quit protecting me and get me in the loop. I think I have a right to know, don't you?"

A passing nurse gave me the _look. _You know, the one that all nurses, librarians, and mothers have to remind us to use our _inside voices? _I smiled sheepishly at her, then continued on with Josef, talking through clenched teeth.

"I mean, it, Josef. Now!" And I hung up on him. The rest of the crew looked away uncomfortably.

"I need some air," I said, going out the sliding doors of the hospital into the clear, frigid evening. I took a few deep breaths of the cold air, feeling re-energized by the chill wind that went through my thin shirt. Daryl followed me out.

"Don't be too hard on Josef, Mick. He felt you had enough to worry about, what with Beth and all."

"I'm not a child, Daryl. And something tells me this isn't just about me and Beth. He's keeping something from me to protect his own ass, I can just feel it."

Daryl said no more, but by that time Josef was joining us in the snow. He nodded at Josef, then joined the others inside. The chicken. He knew whatever Josef was about to tell me, he didn't want to be there to watch me blow up.

"Okay, my _ass _is down here. And by the way, I don't appreciate being summoned like some sort of—"

"Save it, Josef! Tell me who hired the attackers, or so help me—" My hands clenched into fists, and I wasn't opposed to beating it out of him.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you." He sighed and put his hands in his pants pockets. "You sure you want to know?"

"Josef!"

"Fine. We used one of the kidnapper's phones to track down who hired them. It was Simone's… mother."

"What?"

"Yeah. She was trying to take Simone in order to stop the wedding from happening."

I looked him right in the eye, seeing that he was telling the truth. "Sort of an extreme way of expressing her disapproval, don't you think?"

He shrugged, uncharacteristically noncommittal. Then the meaning of his words finally sank in. _Of course. _ Last time Josef had seen Elise Walker, he'd flashed his fangs at her and threatened her. Well, no wonder she was scared. Her daughter was marrying a monster.

"Goddamit, Josef! This is all your fuckin' fault! I warned you this would come back and bite you in the ass. Number one rule, remember?"

His hands came up defensively, waiting for the hit that he knew he deserved. But hitting him wouldn't solve the problem; it'd only make me feel good for a minute or two.

"Come on, Mick. You met the bitch. But last time I saw her, she pushed me to the breaking point, and I wasn't gonna sit there and let her hurt Simone that way. I bet if Beth's mother treated her like that you might have done worse. I thought you understood that about me, Mick—someone hurts one of my own, I'll make them pay."

His words took some of the wind from my sails, and I was able to ask calmly: "What have you done with her?"

"She's chained up in the basement of my house."

"You didn't kill her? What about making her pay?"

"Don't worry about that, buddy. Payday is coming." He glanced at his platinum Omega watch. "As a matter of fact, he should be arriving on the next plane in."

"What? Who?" I wish he would stop being so dramatic all the time and get to the point.

He grinned a little evilly. "Why, Daddy, of course."

SIMONE

I couldn't help the twinge of guilt I felt looking at my mother, chained to the toilet in the basement bathroom. She could stand or sit, drink water from the sink faucet, or use the facilities. We'd even left out some human food Josef had stocked for Beth so that Mother wouldn't go hungry. But she was still shackled by the foot to the commode, and the anger and indignity were written all over her face. When she spoke to me, her voice was hoarse, likely from screaming for help all day.

"I know you are no longer…yourself, but isn't there some part of you left that has respect for your mother?"

"Losing respect for you had nothing to do with my becoming a vampire, Mother. Attempted kidnapping and putting Beth in a coma pretty much took away any last positive feelings I had for you."

"You're brainwashed now. You're one of those…_creatures._ How can you have any human emotions left?"

I walked closer to the door of the bathroom, ignoring Josef's prior advice that I remain a healthy distance and avoid engaging her in conversation. I was just supposed to be checking on her, but old habits die hard.

"I was a vampire back in New York, and you had no idea, did you? We can live among humans without anyone knowing. You never would have known at all had Josef not gotten so angry with you."

"You don't think I would have known my own daughter had become a monster?"

"No, I don't. You might have thought I was acting a little differently, maybe looked a little paler, saw I wasn't eating. _Vampire_ would never have crossed your mind. But you had to try to meddle with my life, to insinuate yourself into my plans. Josef is a very old and powerful vampire. The only reason he hasn't snapped your neck is because of me. You owe him for that."

"What's your father going to say when I come up missing?" She asked, thinking she'd trapped me.

"You told him you were coming to visit me for the holidays. He couldn't come because he had a special gallery exhibition this week. Funny thing is, he knew nothing about the wedding. Hadn't even seen the invitation. If you were so hell-bent on saving my life, why didn't you ask him for help?"

Her eyes flickered down, then up again, a hint of fear behind her words. "You've spoken to your father."

"Yes. He's on his way to help us deal with his crazy wife."

"Crazy?

"Yeah. Seems Mother Dear hired kidnappers—a federal offense, by the way—to take her daughter by force. A woman may die as a result—so we're looking at possible murder charges here. Not to mention the wild accusations that Josef and I are vampires." I tsked at her condescendingly—an attitude I know she despised.

"You're building the case that I'm insane," she said, outraged. "Your father will never believe it. No one I know will ever believe it. My reputation is unimpeachable."

"Not for long, Mother. Not when we get through with it."

"But I'll expose you and your fiancé for the freaks of nature that you are! You'll be the ones having to explain!"

"No one tends to believe psych ward patients."

We stared at each other, at an impasse. I felt close to tears, but I wasn't about to expose my weakness to her. I knew that steel-trap lawyer brain of hers was working overtime, trying to figure a way out of this. Then I heard light footfalls on the carpeted steps, and down came Josef and Mick.

They'd likely heard our conversation, and felt compelled to intervene. The basement was a game room of sorts, complete with pool table, dart board, golf putting green, and a full wet bar. But Mick, upon seeing my mother, didn't even seem to notice his surroundings. Anger seeped into the air from his every pore, and he promptly vamped out as he strode over to her, grabbed her upper arms, and got right in her face.

"So you're the bitch who put my Beth into a coma?" He growled, low, dangerous, and just barely in control.

She visibly gulped and flinched, her eyes huge in her pale face as she eyed his extended fangs.

"You're a—a—"

He shook her, none to gently. "Vampire? That's right. Take a good, long look. If you weren't Simone's mother, I'd kill you where you stand. And if Beth dies, I may come back and do it anyway, you hear me?"

"I—I'm sorry. I never intended—"

He shoved her away, and she fell into the bathroom sink, grasping the marble before she could fall. She stood shakily, rubbing her arms. Her apology was apparently not accepted.

"Careful, Mick. If she shows any signs of abuse, the plan won't work," Josef said, unable to hide his smirk of satisfaction.

"I was just telling Simone that there's no way you'll be able to convince Marcus that I've done anything wrong. He loves me. He'll never believe any of you."

"He'll believe us," I said softly, the feel of Josef's hand in mine reigniting my courage. "He'll especially believe me, and I think you know that. He may love you, Mother, but he has no illusions about who you are."

"And don't forget," added Josef, "we have two witnesses—we captured your two henchmen. They're willing to rat you out in exchange for full immunity. Beth's boss in the LA District Attorney's office is a personal friend of the DA here in Tahoe. And once the Feds are called in, your disloyal employees will sing like birds, you can bet on that."

Josef was such a convincing liar. Had I not killed those two attackers with my own hands, I would have believed him myself.

"So here's what's gonna happen," he continued. "You're not going to fight being committed to a psychiatric hospital, or we'll proceed with the Federal charges. And don't even think about getting out of this place. We've found the perfect location—a place here in the mountains, far from civilization, where you'll be able to hobnob with some of the other dirty little secrets of high society. _Lifestyles of the Rich and Crazy_—very plush, but extremely secure. You'll feel right at home, and you'll have the best of care, with lots of the finest shrinks to try to deprogram you of your flights of fancy into that mythical vampire world you've created in your mind."

"No! I'll never agree to that. Marcus won't—"

"He will," said Mick ominously. "Or we'll make him one of us, just like we did Simone."

_Wow. These guys were good._

Josef looked up suddenly, catching the sound of an approaching vehicle. "Our guest has arrived," he said gleefully. Then, to Mother: "I suggest you put on your best insanity defense. I've heard you're very good at those."

With one last glare from Mick, and a smirk from Josef, the men started up the stairs to meet with Daddy.

"You coming, sweetheart?" Josef called down to me.

"Yeah. Just give me another minute."

I looked at my mother, as the reality of her situation began to finally sink in with her.

"You wouldn't let them hurt your father, would you? He had nothing to do with this. Please, honey, don't let them do this to us."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "There's really nothing I can do to stop them, Mother. They're older, much more powerful than me. And I'm evil, now, remember?"

"No, you're not. I know you're still my daughter in there…somewhere."

I smiled sadly. "It's too bad you could never see me for who I really am, even now. I'm sorry it's come to this, I really am."

I turned to follow Josef and Mick up the stairs.

"Simone!" My mother wailed, but this time, I didn't come when she called.

TBC

A/N: I hope you like this compromise I came up with. Please let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I surprised myself by finishing another chapter this weekend, so I thought I'd share. So, if you haven't had the chance to read Chapter 8, please go back and read that one first. I hope you like this chapter; it is always difficult to write for several characters in one room, lol. Those of you who also write likely know what I mean. Thanks again for any and all reviews. I love you for it!

Chapter 9

JOSEF

The taxi pulled away from the driveway, and I watched from the window as the tall man walked carefully up the front steps of my house, his leather duster pulled up at the collar against the driving snow. Simone's father. I had only met Marcus Walker once, back in New York, but he seemed a fairly calm, laid-back sort. He also had good taste in whiskey. I only hoped he could see the logic in what we were about to suggest for his wife. I squeezed Simone's hand, and looked down at her in encouragement.

"You're on, kid," I said softly. She nodded, but I knew she was scared shitless. This would be the real test of our plan, and it would take a lot of finessing to get Walker to agree with what we thought was "best" for Elise the Beast.

Simone didn't wait for him to knock, but pulled open the door and ushered him inside, out of the wind, the door slamming shut behind them. Before he could even brush the snow off, she threw herself into his arms, crying tears that I knew were completely genuine.

"Oh, Daddy! Thank God you're here! We weren't sure what to do!"

"Daddy's here," he murmured into her hair. "Everything will be all right now." He glanced up at me, his features uncannily resembling Harrison Ford's. I felt surreally like Indiana Jones was about to give me a stern lecture.

"Marcus," I nodded to him politely. "I'm sorry we're meeting again under such unfortunate circumstances. You remember Mick."

Mick had been sitting in one of the chairs that had been arranged for the postponed wedding. He stood up and joined us near the door.

"Mr. Walker."

"Where is my wife?" Walker's voice was low and commanding. He was used to being obeyed. Wealth did that to a person, as I well knew.

"I'm sure Simone couldn't have prepared you completely for Mrs. Walker's state of mind. We've had to go to extraordinary measures to keep her here, for her own safety, of course."

He eyed me suspiciously, and I could hear his heart pick up speed with anxiety. Simone looked up into her father's face, trying to calm him.

"Daddy, we've had to bind her, or she would have run away. I promise we haven't hurt her. She's just understandably furious that we have kept her here against her will. Come with me; she's down here."

She led him by the hand to the basement stairs, and I nodded slightly to Mick. He would bring down our "witnesses."

Back down in the basement, I watched the second reunion of the evening, and I was starting to second-guess this brilliant plan of mine. Elise and Marcus embraced, the woman breaking into hysterical tears at the feel of her husband's arms, whom she mistakenly believed would be able to rescue her. If we didn't start convincing him soon of the fragile state of his wife's mental health, we'd be committing _two_ people to the loony bin.

"Unchain her!" Walker demanded. I had imagined this would happen, so I brought the key from my pocket and unlocked the shackle. He walked with her over to the sofa on one wall of the gameroom, Elise clutching to him, scared, but obviously feeling somewhat triumphant that we'd conceded to her husband's demands.

"She's not leaving this house," I said, looking him dead in the eye, "unless it is to the police department. Let there be no misunderstandings on this point."

"Why not? All I have is your word that she's broken the law. Who's to say you aren't making this all up because Elise doesn't approve of this marriage?"

"You have my word, too, Daddy," Simone intervened. "She sent two men to kidnap me, and in the process, one of them caused Beth to fall down those stairs outside, and now she might never wake up again. I told you this on the phone. It's true, I swear it."

"And we have two witnesses who will verify this," I added, "not to mention a cell phone that has proof of calls and texts between them and your wife. There's also the matter of a safe house she had all prepared for Simone, complete with the very chains we used to bind Mrs. Walker, here. Plenty of evidence to involve the FBI. Not to mention the fact that she's totally batshit crazy."

Elise gasped and opened her mouth to protest, but Walker spoke before she could come out with the words. "Is this true, Elise? Did you hire men to kidnap our baby?"

"No, of course not. You can't believe anything they say. They're—"and she caught my eye, as I waited with a small smile for her to condemn herself. "They're monsters," she finished hopelessly.

"Bring 'em down, Mick," I said, and I tried hard not to laugh as Mick brought down the two supposed kidnappers. Guillermo and Logan were each bound by duct tape, their hands together in front, both wearing the white ski suits worn by the real kidnappers. Of course, Guillermo's suit was a little baggy, and Logan's a lot tight. At the bottom of the stairs, Mick shoved them none too gently to the hardwood floor, and they gave Mick enraged looks that seemed very real. The confused expression on Elise's face was priceless.

"I've never seen these men before in my entire life," she said truthfully, because, of course, she was telling the truth.

Guillermo, in character, awkwardly got to his feet, his eyes shooting daggers at the woman. "How conveniently you forget, lady, considering we still haven't been paid."

"What-?" She looked at me suspiciously. "I swear, Marcus, I don't know these men."

"Quit lying, Mother. Daddy, these two creeps tried to take me from this house. They ran away when Beth fell down the stairs, the cowards."

"Hey, we're not cowards," said Logan awkwardly, trying and failing miserably to be a good actor. I'd told him to leave the talking to Guillermo. I shot him a warning look, and he clammed up immediately.

Guillermo tried to save the day. "We're willing to testify in court that this sick bitch hired us to kidnap her own daughter. If we're going down, well, we're taking her with us. And hey, maybe the judge'll give us a break for our honesty." He gave Elise an evil grin.

Elise was furious, finally making the one mistake we were counting on-she got angry. "But you _aren't_ the men I hired—" she said, bolting to her feet. She realized what she'd said the minute the damning words left her mouth.

Walker looked at his wife in shock. "My God. You did it, didn't you? How could you?" He got up from the couch to tower over her. "You're responsible for putting that poor girl in the hospital. You realize how many laws you've broken? _Federal_ laws? What am I saying? Of course you knew—but your jealousy and control issues pushed you to do it anyway. Simone could have been hurt or even killed. I can't believe you did this!"

"But Marcus—"

"Shut the hell up, Elise! Come here, baby," he said to Simone, taking his daughter protectively in his arms. "I should have seen this coming. I'm partly to blame for this. After you left New York, she was traumatized for days, prattling on about Josef being a monster who would kill you when he got the chance. She was acting psychotic. I should have gotten her some help. Then, a couple weeks ago, she suddenly seemed to stop obsessing. That must have been when she hatched this outrageous plan of hers."

I nodded. "Likely when she got the wedding invitation," I said.

The basement became eerily silent, only broken by the erratic heartbeats of the humans in the room. Elise sat again, her face in her hands, waiting for her husband to pass judgment. Finally, he addressed Mick.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am about Beth, Mick. I can only pray that she comes out of that coma okay. I know you must love her, so you have to understand the love I have for my wife, even though she's done this terrible thing. Tell me, is there some way you can show her mercy? Some way we can work this thing out, outside the courts? I can pay you—"

Mick shook his head. "Money isn't gonna fix this, sir. And believe me, I've shown your wife mercy by not killing her with my bare hands. It's only because I care about Simone that I haven't. But I want Mrs. Walker to meet some sort of justice. I'm sure you can understand that."

He looked at Elise, now paying rapt attention to her husband, her eyes pleading with him. Walker looked at me. "I take it you have something in mind?"

I tried not to appear too triumphant. "Yes. Simone, Mick and I have come up with an alternative to prison and a long, public trial. There's a fine mental facility nearby in the mountains—"

"No!" Elise protested, on her feet again, rushing to her husband and daughter. "I'm not crazy! I admit the whole kidnapping thing was a mistake, and I'm sorry beyond words for Beth. But I don't belong in a place like that, Marcus. I'll go crazy for sure!"

Walker's back was to us vamps, but Elise could see all of us at once. On cue, we flashed our fangs, allowing our eyes to go slightly silver in warning. She gasped, seeing now that Guillermo and Logan were also playing for our team. She and her husband were hopelessly outnumbered, and she felt now that she had nothing to lose.

"Look at them, Marcus! They're all monsters! See their fangs? They've set me up so I wouldn't expose them for what they are. They're vampires! Even our baby! They turned her, made her one of them. They've taken her away from us for good, just like I feared they would! Look, Marcus! I'm begging you, look at them!" But he looked at her like she was nuts, as we'd intended.

Of course, by the time Walker turned to us, we were all in human face again, our expressions calm, but with a touch of confusion thrown in for effect. I looked at Elise now, allowing pity to overtake the confused façade.

"Vampires? Marcus, I'm afraid it's even worse than we thought. But I've heard this facility is excellent at calming psychoses, with the most advanced drug treatments money can buy. For Simone's sake, I'd even be willing to pay for her stay."

"Drugs? Marcus, don't let them drug me!"

But her husband was now ignoring her like he would a recalcitrant child. "Thank you, Josef, but that won't be necessary. Truly, you are being too kind—especially you, Mick—to allow her to avoid the scandal of a trial." I felt bad for the guy, truly I did, especially when I saw his eyes watering in pain at what had become of his wife.

Mick nodded. "I think this would be best. And if she voluntarily committed herself, indefinitely, we could avoid any unnecessary court proceedings on that count, too."

Elise was shaking her head helplessly, tears streaming down her face at her husband's betrayal, at the realization that there was no way out of this now. Everyone was against her.

"Elise? Don't you see that you need help? Mick here is doing us a favor by allowing this. Otherwise, you'd go to prison, sweetheart, with horrible felons who would eat you alive. And clearly, you need to talk to someone about these strange visions you're having. Maybe it's just the stress of everything making you imagine things. I'd feel better if you could get some help. Josef is right. Maybe you just need some medication…"

He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. He embraced his wife, holding her tightly in anguish. I averted my eyes from the couple, catching Mick's satisfied expression. We nodded at each other imperceptibly. We were quiet as Walker enveloped his family in a touching group hug. After a few minutes, Walker pulled away, trying to compose himself.

"You think they'll be able to take her tonight?"He asked me shakily. "It's Christmas Eve…"

"I've already inquired after the arrangements. We just needed you to see her state of mind before we proceeded."

"Thank you," he managed. Elise was surprisingly calm now. Resigned, no doubt, at least for now, for what was coming next.

"I'll have my driver take you, Simone, and Mrs. Walker to the facility. It might be best you leave now, before the snow makes the roads impassable." I pulled out my cell phone, punching in Daryl's familiar number. He'd been waiting in the garage for my call.

"Yeah, boss," he said for effect. It was all I could do not to smile, wishing I could record this for posterity.

"Bring the vehicle around front. We're taking Mrs. Walker and her family to the Placid Mountain facility."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." I had to turn away slightly to hide my grin. "He'll be out front in a minute. We'll have Mrs. Walker's luggage sent there from the house she rented a few miles from here."

Walker just shook his head, likely still in shock at all his wife had planned. She allowed him to guide her upstairs, the rest of us sticking close to Elise in the event that she tried to flee. Daryl pulled up in the SUV he'd rented for the trip, and I watched in amusement as Elise's eyes grew wide at the mountain of a man who stepped out of the vehicle. There'd be no escaping that hulk.

Walker looked pointedly at Guillermo and Logan, still bound, held convincingly by Mick. "What's to become of these fellows?"

"Nothing a little financial incentive won't take care of, among other things," I said. "Best you don't know the details." He nodded, assuming, of course, that I had something nefarious in mind. Guillermo, then Logan, made half-hearted struggling motions at my words. Mick was more than happy to rein them in, none too gently, according to their grunts of annoyance.

Simone came to me then, and I hugged her to me, kissing her sweet head in sympathy. This was going to be hard on her, but I knew it would have been harder had we killed her mother, as had been my first inclination. No, this was a good compromise, and I would pay the owners of the mental hospital big bucks to keep Elise medicated for the rest of her miserable life. Maybe, eventually, I'd allow her to be transferred to a New York hospital so that Marcus Walker could return to some semblance of a life and career. I'd leave it up to him to decide how to handle his wife's sudden disappearance from the legal scene. Perhaps a forced retirement, for medical reasons. I had the feeling that a man like him, frequently in the spotlight, would know what to do. Besides, it wasn't my problem anymore.

Simone tiptoed up to gently kiss my lips. "Thank you," she said, her heart in her eyes. She turned and automatically grabbed the jacket she didn't need, following her father and mother to the car. I waved a hand to Daryl after he'd helped them inside, and he returned it. I knew he would take good care of Simone and her family. The SUV roared to life as the rest of us watched from the porch, following the red tail lights until we lost sight of them in the whirling snow. We went back inside as the snow began blowing into the house.

Logan's whine finally broke the silence. "Can we take this fuckin' tape off, please? It's chafing my wrist, and I have very sensitive skin." The two vamp actors broke the tape in half, Logan groaning a little as some of his arm hair came off with it. I finally let out the chuckle I'd been holding in, relieved that things had gone even better than I'd expected.

"Hey, would you two mind taking off the snowsuits too? You're offending my fashion sensibilities."

"Yeah, talk about chafing…"Guillermo muttered, indicating the one area the suit was tight on him by a little manual adjustment to where the zipper hit his crotch. They headed back to the bedrooms where they'd changed earlier, Logan congratulating himself on his stellar performance.

"I love it when a plan comes together," I quoted, grinning at Mick in hopes that he'd get my _A-Team _joke. He was still staring blankly out the window at the Christmas Eve storm, and I knew he was thinking of Beth. As I was about to offer the suggestion that we return to the hospital, Mick's phone chimed an incoming text. He took it out of his pocket and read the message.

"It's from Carrie. She says she has an idea about getting Beth to wake up, and that we should get back to the hospital when we can."

Carrie had volunteered to stay with Beth while we executed our plan. Knowing her, she'd come up with a brilliant idea of her own.

"Go start up the Hummer," I told him, tossing him the keys. "I'll tell Laurel and Hardy to get a move on."

"Thanks, man," said Mick, and I knew he meant for more than just the use of my vehicle.

As he headed out the door again, I found myself praying that at least one of us would get our Christmas wish.

TBC

A/N: You like? Too easy? Well, things aren't going to be so easy for Mick and Beth. Next chapter, Carrie's plan for Beth…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks to everyone, loyal readers and newbies alike, for all your great reviews and support, and for putting me on your favorites list. You guys rock! Caution: more angst ahead, I'm afraid. But I promise there's at least a little humor along the way, and some happier chapters ahead.

Chapter 10

MICK

On the way back to the hospital, I divided my thoughts between our successful dealing with Elise Walker and a hesitant hope that Carrie might have thought of something to help Beth. The windshield wipers worked hard at the blowing snow, their movements almost calming in the darkness. Josef must be feeling sorry for me, because he'd let me drive the Hummer. He rode shotgun while Logan and Guillermo sat in the backseat. They must have sensed my mood, because for once Logan kept his mouth shut. I hated spoiling everyone's time, so I made an attempt at conversation, if only to take my mind off Beth for a few minutes.

"So, Guillermo, you've actually seen the mysterious Stacy, now, have you?"

"Yes, I have. And I have to say, she isn't in fact missing either fang."

Josef chuckled. "But does she have a big ass?"

"Hey!" This from Logan, tired of being silent.

"Actually, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. She's not half bad."

"Not half bad?" Logan said in dismay. "She's fuckin' beautiful, and you damn well know it!"

"Well that may be," Josef said, "but how much are you paying her?"

"She's no whore, Josef," Logan growled. "And I'll take down anyone who says otherwise."

"Okay, okay! Calm down, tiger. We're just yankin' your chain. I'm sure she's very into you."

"Damn straight," he pouted.

"You know," I ventured, "a girl like that—you gotta watch her every minute. Someone else is liable to steal her away when you least expect it." I watched for Logan's reaction in the rearview mirror. The younger vamp's face took on a slightly paranoid expression.

"Yeah," concurred Guillermo slyly. "She was giving me the eye all the way from LA."

"She was not!" protested Logan, landing a punch to Guillermo's shoulder that had him slamming into the door. The Hummer rocked to the side and slid a little on the ice, before I quickly regained control.

"Hey, hey!" Josef said sternly. "Don't make me come back there!"

"He started it!" Logan said sullenly, indicating me.

I rolled my eyes at him in the mirror and was momentarily grateful I'd found something amusing after the events of the last couple of days. But my amusement faded as we pulled up into the hospital parking lot, and I sat there a moment, looking up through the snow shower to the fifth floor window that I knew belonged to Beth. The guys in the backseat got out and shut the door, enjoying the cold while they waited for Josef and me.

"You ready?" Josef asked softly, following my gaze.

I let out a tremulous sigh. "Yeah. I know it's only been a couple days of this, but I live with the constant feeling of having been kicked in the gut. How did you do it for fifty years, Josef?"

His eyes remained on the well-lit hospital, then dispassionately on the snowball fight that had erupted between Logan and Guillermo.

"That pretty well describes it. But the difference here is Sarah had no brain waves, and I just couldn't let her go. I thought that maybe, if she woke up, her new vampire blood would cure her of all ills, and she'd be the same person I had loved. Self-deception is not a good thing, Mick."

"That's why I don't want to get my hopes up with Carrie's plan."

"But you have a viable option, no matter what. You've decided that you would be willing to turn Beth. I had lost that option with Sarah. So, don't give up yet. You have every non-delusional reason to remain positive."

"You're right. Let's get the hell up there and see what Carrie's come up with."

"Atta boy!"

Josef opened his door and stepped out into the snow, only to be struck in the face by one of Logan's errant snowballs. I let out a bark of laughter as I watched the slush run down his cheeks and beneath the collar of his expensive sweater.

Logan stood, open-mouthed, in shock at what he'd accidentally done. Josef slowly brought up one hand to wipe the offending snow from his eyes, immediately zeroing in on the hapless Logan.

"You are so dead again, nerd-boy,"he growled ominously.

Logan, in fear of his second life-and rightly so-took off running into the woods surrounding the parking lot, Josef in close pursuit. Guillermo and I shrugged and went on into the hospital, each of us having no doubt that Logan was about to pay dearly for the capital offense of defiling fine cashmere.

########################

The ICU was quiet late at night, and, given Josef's obvious pay-off to the hospital powers-that-be, we had the run of the place, regular visiting hours holding no sway over Beth Turner's visitors. Guillermo had remained in the lobby, having received a call from his girlfriend, Caridad, so I alone walked into Beth's room, encountering Carrie's bedside vigil. She'd been reading what looked to be a French novel, whose page she dog-eared at my arrival. I was immediately enveloped in one of her loving embraces, double kissed on my cheeks, while her long, ebony ponytail swirled around us.

"How is she?" I asked, automatically moving to Beth's side and taking her limp hand.

_No change, I'm afraid. But she seems peaceful. Her heartbeat is steady, her breathing gentle. I think sometimes she is dreaming, because her eyes move beneath her eyelids . I believe when she awakens, she will be perfect once again._

"I hope so. You mentioned you have an idea…"

_Oui. I would like to try to talk to her. Maybe my way of talking will get through to her better, maybe she'll be able to hear me more clearly. I have refrained, wondering if you would think it might be too overwhelming for her mind. _

I considered her words, and the wisdom of allowing the experiment. I was naturally willing to try almost anything to revive her, but Carrie had a good point about it possibly being overwhelming.

"Can you control the volume of your voice in her head?"

_Oui_

She had lowered the sound to almost a whisper whose difference in pitch I could distinctly hear compared to her normal speaking levels. I nodded to her in understanding.

_I have awakened people before in this way, when they are sleeping normally, never from a coma, of course. I thought I could start out softly, saying her name. Then, increase the volume, depending on her response._

I took a deep, unneeded breath, more as a habit to calm myself. I squeezed Beth's hand and looked at Carrie. "I don't see how it could hurt her, really. You could stop if she seems too agitated."

_My thoughts, exactly. _She smiled warmly. _ Shall I give it a try?_

We both heard the sound of the distant elevator, then sensed Josef's nearness. He entered Beth's room, his face whiter than usual from the cold.

"Did Logan survive?" I asked blandly, glimpsing his satisfied expression.

"Barely. The asshole had the gall to ask to borrow the Hummer to go back and change out of his wet clothes. I'm thinking he pissed his pants more than got wet from the snow when he rolled down that hill. I made Guillermo go with him to drive. You think I'd trust that idiot Logan to drive my baby? Oh, hello, Carrie."

He grinned at the French greeting he received on his icy cheeks. _Have you been rolling around in the snow along with him?_

"No. Just getting even." His voice softened as he glanced at Beth. " I hear you have a plan for Blondie here."

I explained her idea, and Josef seemed to think it a sound one. "Couldn't hurt," he echoed, running his fingers through his cold, wet hair.

_Are we ready? _

I nodded once, nervous about what seemed a simple act. Josef's eyes went to me, and I knew he felt my building tension.

_Beth? _Carrie "whispered." She paused, and we all focused on Beth's face. No reaction. She continued, a little louder now.

_Beth? Sweetie, it's Carrie. Mick's here with me. We want you to wake up. Can you do that for us?" _Her "voice" was loud and clear in my head, and I knew that if it were possible for Beth to respond to anything, she would have to hear this, if only in her dreams.

I squeezed Beth's hand as added stimulation, and I noticed that she moved slightly, and her face formed a slight grimace.

"I think she heard you, Carrie. Please, keep trying." My excitement increased ten-fold, and I stared, praying for some sign that this was working.

_Beth, mon ami. Time to wake up. You have a lovely man here who misses you terribly. Wake up, Beth._

I felt Beth's pulse increase slightly, even as the beeping of the monitor picked up as well.

"Beth. I need you to open those beautiful eyes of yours. I don't think I can take much more of this…"

_Beth._

Those eyes behind her closed lids were moving back and forth. Either she was dreaming, or trying hard to open her heavy lids.

"Squeeze my hand, honey. Please."

We watched, enraptured, as my sleeping princess began to stir.

"She squeezed my hand!" I said breathlessly.

_Wake up, Beth. Come back to us._

And then, she spoke. Her eyes remained shut, but I knew immediately that she was back with us. Her voice was weak, but her lips moved, and it was like the voice of an angel.

"Will you guys please quit yelling? My head is killing me."

I laughed, and felt my cheeks wet with tears, the most unmasculine, most infantile tears a grown man has ever shed. I kissed her cheek and lay my head on her chest, listening to the steady, strong beat.

"Oh, Beth. Thank God!" I cried into her flowered hospital gown.

"Thank Carrie," Josef offered, handing Carrie his handkerchief.

"Yeah, of course!" I reached out for Carrie's hand and she held it happily, then planted her own kiss on Beth's forehead.

"I'll go fetch the doctor," Josef said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"What happened?" Beth was saying. "Where am I?" She of course seemed very groggy, and had yet to open her eyes.

"You fell down the steps at Josef's cabin. You're in the hospital in Tahoe. You remember anything?"

At this, her eyes flew open, and I was happy beyond words to see their bright blue gleam. "Simone! Is she alright?"

"Shhhh…she's fine. _You're_ going to be fine." I smoothed back her hair and kissed her warm lips, a lightness filling my chest, and a relief so strong I thought I might collapse at the sudden lifting of the weight from my shoulders.

"Mick? Is there something over my eyes? Why is it so dark in here?" She slowly reached a hand to her face, gingerly touching the area around her eyes as if expecting there to be bandages there.

"Honey, there's nothing on your eyes. And there's a light shining right over your bed." A feeling of dread overwhelmed me. I swallowed hard."Can't you see it?"

"No," she whispered, fear suddenly making her voice much clearer. "I can't see, Mick. I can't see anything!"

"Hey, hey-don't try to sit up. I'm sure it's temporary. You hit your head pretty hard on the steps."

"God, it hurts, and the back of my neck…"

By this time, the doctor, who unfortunately had to be on call this Christmas Eve, came into Beth's room. He smiled into her blank eyes.

"Beth. I'm Doctor Harris. Glad to see you're back with us." He shone a penlight into her eyes, noting the lack of response. His eyes flicked to her vital readouts, then back to her face. "Beth, can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" He held up two, right in front of her eyes.

"No," she said in dismay. "Everything is dark."

"You can't see anything? No shapes or shadows? No flashes of light?"

"No. Nothing."

He looked at me, the concern on his face scaring the hell out of me. Josef and Carrie stood by, speechless at this new development.

"You need to rest now. Don't get too worried or excited. You had a bad fall and sometimes head injuries can do funny things. We'll run some tests tomorrow to see what's going on. Just relax and I'll check in with you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."

Dr. Harris motioned me into the hall. "I don't mean to frighten you, but this is a little disturbing to me. Given the location of her injury, if her vision is gone, we may be looking at a permanent condition. As I told your wife, we'll get her an MRI tomorrow and see if there's anything we can do, perhaps surgically. But until then, try to keep her calm and reassure her. She's had a traumatic experience, and getting upset wouldn't be helpful to her recovery. She should sleep normally now."

All I really got from his little speech was the word, _permanent._

"Are you telling me she could be…_blind…forever_?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately, you may need to prepare yourself for that possibility. But don't give up yet. There are many specialists out there who may have a solution." He patted my arm consolingly. "I wish I could tell you something more…"

"No. Thanks, really. I'm just—well, you can understand how I'm feeling…"  
"Yes. I'm sorry. I'll see you in the morning."

Beth's room suddenly became a hive of activity, as nurses came in to see to the new needs of the conscious patient. I went back in, where Josef and Carrie still stood, saying reassuring things to Beth, Josef trying to coax a smile from her.

"Mick's been a total wreck since you've been in here, camping out like he's waiting in line for Zeppelin tickets."

_Now that you are awake, I hope you encourage him to eat and go get some sleep. _

"A shower and shave wouldn't hurt him either. Not to mention a clean Henley, for God's sake."

At this, she did smile, reaching out for my hand.

"Is this true, Mick?" she asked sleepily.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, sweetheart."

"I'll be alright. Time to take care of yourself, now, for me."

Carrie leaned over Beth and kissed each of her cheeks. _Mon ami, I have been praying so hard you would awaken. Josef and I will go and leave you to rest. And I'm sure Mick will be right behind us._

She gave me a meaningful look, the kind Daryl always described as her "mother hen imitation."

"I'm so glad you're here…" Beth told her. She was sounding more and more fatigued.

_Of course, cherie. Good night._

Josef stepped forward, a little hesitantly. "You took about a hundred years off my life, Buzzwire." I didn't begrudge him the light peck on her cheek. She reached up and touched his face.

"Take care of Mick, will you?" He kissed her knuckles, setting her hand gently back at her side.

"I always do."

He prepared to take his leave and I told him I'd be down in a few minutes.

"Take your time. We've got to wait till Beavis and Butthead bring back my Hummer. I'll give them another call downstairs."

"Thanks."

The last nurse adjusted Beth's pillows and straightened her covers, then left us blessedly alone. My emotions had been put through the ringer the last few days. That combined with lack of sleep and blood, and I was well on my way to becoming a nervous wreck. How could this happen? Awakening from a coma, only to find herself blind? Someone out there was playing a sick joke, and I felt like they'd turned my insides out.

"Mick, I'm scared." Her trembling words were daggers to my chest.

"I know, baby. Try not to upset yourself. You heard the doctor. It's not time to be worried yet." But I was trembling myself, on the inside. My beautiful Beth, deprived of seeing the ocean, the mountains, the children we might have someday. But I had to be strong for her, not let her know how sick I felt.

"Try to go back to sleep. When you wake up we can deal with this, okay?" Her eyes were drooping closed, and I was so relieved that she was just slipping into a revitalizing sleep.

"'kay…I love you…"she murmured.

"I love you too," I said pressing my lips gently to hers. "I'm so happy you're back with me." I lay my head back on her breast again, listening to the beautiful sound of her heart, the ICU monitors that now seemed more comforting rather than a form of torture, and the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. I glanced at the time, noting that it was just past midnight of one of the longest days of my life.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," I whispered, nuzzling her neck.

I waited until I was sure she was fast asleep, then I went downstairs to join my friends.

TBC

A/N: Well, I warned you! Don't worry; there's a method to my madness, and ultimately, things will turn out happily. I will say that there will be another story that takes place after this one, so I'm afraid this story will end with some loose ends. At any rate, I do look forward to reading your reviews, so please let me know what you think…


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for your continued support of this story. I really appreciate all your positive reviews! This chapter is jam packed with a little bit of everything—humor, angst, drama, romance, surprises. It's also supersized! Fasten your seatbelts, lol. And this is my third chapter since Thursday, so go back and start with chapter 9 if you are behind. I've been on vacation so I had a little extra time…

Chapter 11

BETH

I had been dreaming that same dream again, the one where I'm on the beach with Mick, back when he was human for a few days. The details were a little different every time, but the feelings were the same. The warmth of the sun, the softness of the sand, the steady sound of the sea-scented breeze and the crashing surf—all these sensory details combined in my memory to create a perfect experience that seemed to go on forever. There was Mick…so relaxed, so warm. We had talked of uncomplicated things, of his childhood, the happier memories of his buddies during the War. But mostly, we talked about food. And boy, did he love to eat!

I had brought a variety of things that day, unsure of what he liked, but, it turned out, he loved everything! I watched in shared pleasure as he rhapsodized over simple pasta salad, cherry tomatoes, cold fried chicken, chocolate brownies, but especially, the strawberries. Watching that man eat a strawberry was one of the most erotic things I'd ever seen. The way his mouth wrapped around the whole berry, his eyes closed to savor the full experience, the sensual noises he made as he chewed…

My dream self did what I had been afraid to do at that point in our real-life relationship. I pushed him onto his back, tore opened his shirt to feel his heated muscles, kissed my way up his chest, to his strong neck, stubbly cheeks, and ultimately, to his strawberry flavored mouth. In my dream, we were suddenly the only ones on the beach, and we became lost in each other, our sighs and moans of pleasure in close competition with the pounding of the waves. It was all so real, so vivid, and while I'd been comatose I dreamed it over and over again, the slight variations only adding to its intensity.

Then, a voice had intruded on my perfect day, filling my mind, replacing Mick's deep voice with a feminine French accent. _Carrie._ Carrie was talking to me, encouraging me to come back to them, to Mick. _But Mick is here, with me, _I thought, confused. Her voice only grew louder, more compelling, drowning out the sound of the surf and of Mick's groans of ecstasy. I awoke from my dream, disoriented, in pain, and extremely annoyed to have been taken away from the brightness of paradise to the sudden, deep darkness of total blindness. My world, once worry free and perfect, was now fraught with fear and confusion.

I felt Mick's hand in mine, no longer warm from the sun, but vampire cool. His voice wasn't calm and gentle, like it had been on the beach, but excited and agitated, with fear lacing what he meant to be comforting words. Everything came rushing back—the attacker's hand over my mouth, my overwhelming fear, both for myself and for Simone, the moment I slipped on the steps and everything went dark. Apparently, the darkness was going to be around awhile, but I was so tired I couldn't process everything, so I fell back asleep, only to pick up with my dream. But it was no longer pleasant; an aura of danger and anxiety plagued it, spoiled its perfection. The ocean was dark and stormy, and Mick seemed cold and distant. The food tasted bland, and I couldn't say anything right.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I awoke again, I opened my eyes to see…nothing. I sensed someone else in the room.

"Mick?" I croaked.

I felt a cool hand on my arm. "Sorry to disappoint you," came the self-deprecating voice of Josef Kostan. "Loverboy is getting some much needed freezer time at my place. Simone's there too, and the others have gone to the lodge. I drew the short straw." I could imagine his teasing smile, so I smiled back.

"Sorry to put you out like that. You don't need to stay…"

"Oh, but I promised Mick. He wouldn't be able to rest if someone wasn't with you. You don't mind that it's me, do ya?" He suddenly sounded unsure of himself, a feeling I knew he wasn't used to.

"No, you're just as good as anyone, I suppose."

He chuckled. "Thanks. Here, you want some water? The doctor said when you woke up we could send for some human food. Just something light—broth and that weird looking stuff they call Jell-O." I didn't have to see to know he was cringing as he said it. I felt the straw at my lips and I drank thirstily. It felt heavenly on my parched throat. I listened as Josef paged the nurse for my meal, also demanding that a doctor come and check me out.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Nearly three days, not counting the brief time you woke up last night."

"Three days?" I said in disbelief. "Today must be…Christmas. Oh, Josef, I messed up your wedding, didn't I?"

"Just postponed it. Besides, it certainly wasn't _your_ fault." I heard the barely concealed anger in his voice, and I realized they must have been trying to figure out who attacked us. I remembered Simone killing one of them, but I didn't know what had happened to the other.

"Tell me what's been happening. My head hurts like it's going to explode, but I can handle it. Don't try to protect me, okay?"

"That's what I like about you, Beth. You're a straight-shooter, and expect the same from everybody else."

So he filled me in on his and Simone's tracking of the attackers' employer, the shock of finding out it was Elise Walker, and their subsequent sting operation that landed her in a mental hospital.

"That was quite a plan. I would have loved to have seen that. How's Simone?"

He sighed. "She's dealing. Her father is going to stay with us a few days before going back to New York to settle some business there. I bet he comes back to Tahoe to live for awhile, since the condition of my silence is that the bitch stays confined here indefinitely. I guess this is the best thing for everybody, but I can't help wishing for the satisfying feel of her neck snapping beneath my hands."

"I don't blame you," I said, smirking. "But I know you did it for love of Simone…"

"Ahhh…love…the curse of the weak of heart."

"You don't believe that," I protested.

"Yes, actually, I do. But it's a curse I'm thankful for every day. Besides, I was too good a catch to have remained single for over four-hundred years."

"I'm sure millions of women everywhere are throwing themselves off bridges as we speak."

"You're probably right. Well, I'd better call Mick. He'll stake me if I don't let him know you're awake."

"Has he been asleep long? Please don't bother him if he hasn't"

I assumed he was looking at his watch. "I guess he's been gone about ten hours. That should be enough time to get some beauty sleep. He can catch up when he knows you're completely out of the woods."

"You mean, I'm not?" He didn't reply right away, so I assumed he was keeping things from me. "Shoot straight with me, remember?" I prompted in annoyance.

"Well, they've scheduled some tests for this afternoon, so they'll know then about your new…condition."

"I'm blind, Josef, not pregnant. I was a little out of it last night, but I gather this could be permanent. I need to know so I can start learning to live with this." There was another strained silence. "Josef?"

"Yeah, you're being very brave, Blondie, but I have to tell ya, I'd be fighting mad if I were you. You're taking this entirely too well. Feel free to curse, ball your eyes out, or even take it out on me. I'll lean over real close so you can pummel me good." I smelled his expensive cologne and knew his face was close to mine.

His offer made me smile. "As tempting as that last one is, I'll refrain…for now. Maybe I'll go through those other emotions later, but right now, I just want to know what I'll be dealing with. Plenty of blind people live normal, productive lives. No reason I can't do the same. It's the not knowing that sucks the most right now."

"I hear you, and thank God you aren't wallowing in self-pity. If there's one thing I can't stand it's a whiney female. Ahhh look, breakfast is served!"

I could hear the sound of a rolling table being moved in front of me, and the hospital bed electronically raising my head so I could eat. The nurse's smiling voice greeted me and asked how I was doing as she set the tray on the table. She adjusted the pillow behind my head.

"She could do with some more pain meds," Josef instructed thoughtfully.

"Certainly." She put a clicker in my hand that would allow me to dose myself with medication as needed. I gave it a good long click.

"Thanks," I said in relief.

"Mr. Kostan, would you like to help Ms. Turner eat? She might have a little trouble right now…"And I heard her rubber soled shoes squeaking lightly out the door.

I could only imagine the shocked expression he was wearing, given the awkward silence that ensued.

"I can do it," I said, putting him out of his misery. "Just direct me to the spoon."I began feeling around the tray in front of me, nearly overturning the broth. Josef quickly stepped in.

"No, I'll take care of you. I'd want Mick to do the same for Simone, after all."

"You don't have to—"

"Shut up and let me feed you your Jell-O. Hey, it's red—just like congealed blood."

I made a face and suddenly felt the cool sweetness of strawberry gelatin at my lips. I opened and let the slimy stuff slide down my throat. It was actually quite soothing. "If you start making airplane noises, I'll take you up on that pummeling offer…"

"And _I'll_ pummel _you_ if you ever tell a soul that the Great Josef Kostan was feeding a hospital patient with his own two hands."

"Deal," I had time to say, before the next bite was shoved gently into my mouth.

#####################

Aside from a few mishaps with the broth, which was remedied with a napkin tucked beneath my chin, Josef was a very good nurse, and I found that I was able to eat or sip everything on my tray. Mick arrived soon after; Josef hadn't even had to call him. He lightly kissed my forehead, then my lips. He smelled divine, his musky cologne and familiar shampoo making me feel almost dizzy with love. I reached up and touched his now smooth cheek.

"You were supposed to call the minute she woke up," he said to Josef in annoyance.

"I asked him to let you sleep; don't be mad at him. He's been relatively nice."

"Now don't go overboard—" Josef said dryly.

"I smell food. Did you eat? Has the doctor been in yet?" Mick asked anxiously.

"Yes and no," I replied, holding his hand, even icier now from the cold outdoors and his recent freezer visit. "A charming male nurse fed me some Jell-O and broth, and another nurse said the doctor should be in shortly. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, surprisingly so. It's amazing what blood, a freezer, and a shower can do for a vamp. But tell me about you. Can you see anything yet?"

"No," I said softly, hating to disappoint him as much as myself. "But I'm told there will be some tests later…"

As if on cue, the doctor from last night came in the room, greeted us all and told me he was going to shine a light in my eyes. He _hmphed _noncommittally.

"No change in your vision?" He asked. At my nod, he said, "Let's get you in for that MRI." Next thing I knew, my bed was being rolled out of the room and I underwent the test. Mick wasn't allowed in, so I was a little apprehensive, having never had to be put through the long narrow tube before. _I guess it was better that I can't see,_ I thought ironically.

When I got back to my room, Mick told me Josef had left.

"I told him to go get some rest, himself, spend time with his fiancé. Besides, I want to be alone with my own lady." He kissed me softly, but I pulled his lips closer, deepening the kiss. It was like I had lit a fuse, and our passion flared to life, all our restrained emotions coming to the fore in a melding of firm lips and seeking tongues. He lost control only a moment, however, mindful of my injuries, but I reveled in it, my hands in his soft slightly damp curls, recalling my dream in its intensity. He pulled gently away, but I knew he was just as worked up as I was. I felt his face for the smile he gave me, and it suddenly occurred to me that I might never see that sweet smile again. I blinked back sudden tears.

"Did I hurt you?" He whispered in concern. I cleared my throat.

"No. I've just missed you, and I've been so frightened."

"We'll know something soon. The doctor will analyze the results and get back with us."

We spoke of simple things, Mick obviously trying to keep my mind off the impending diagnosis. He made me laugh in his description of the vampire snowball fight the day before, and I loved the thought of Josef, snow pelting him in the face. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Simone arrived and we hugged in a touching reunion, the tears flowing down both our faces in shared relief that we'd survived our ordeal.

"I'm so sorry, Beth. My mother—well, I feel like this is all my fault."

"You're not your mother's keeper," I replied.

"Damned right," Mick concurred. "Besides, if Josef hadn't egged her on…"

"What?" I asked in surprise. He explained how Josef had shown Elise his true face.

"Well, no wonder she was so afraid for you, Simone. It kinda makes a sick sort of sense now. But what she did was wrong, no matter what Josef did. Hopefully she is in a place that can maybe give her the help she needs."

"I hope so," Simone said, but it didn't sound like she had much hope left where her mother was concerned. "Daddy is beside himself. I don't know what he's going to do without her."

"Please tell him how badly I feel about all this. I don't blame him in the least."

"Thank you. I will." She'd been sitting on my bed beside me, holding my hand, and I felt her consoling squeeze.

"Doctor," said Mick suddenly. I wondered vaguely if my doctor was a vampire; I hadn't even heard him come in.

"I've had a chance to look at the MRI results. I'm sorry to say, it's not good news. The damage to your occipital lobe is extensive, and inoperable, in my opinion. I'm afraid your blindness is permanent."

"No!" the word tore from Mick in a growl of dismay. "We'll get a second opinion, a specialist. This can't be the final word."

"By all means, Mr. St. John. If she were my wife, I'd exhaust every possibility, explore every avenue. You're well within your rights to do so, and I sincerely hope I have erred here. I'm not a neurologist, and this small hospital unfortunately doesn't have the high-tech facilities or access to research that big city hospitals have. But I stand by my reading of your wife's MRI. I don't think my analysis is incorrect, I'm afraid."

"Thank you, Doctor," I was able to say, despite my shock. "I'm sure you've done your best."

"I'll put you in touch with some specialists in New York and LA. I'm sorry I couldn't give you better news, truly I am. Before you take her to another hospital, though, I advise that she rest and recover from her injury for a few days. I don't think moving her so soon would be a good idea."

He said his goodbyes and left the three of us alone, our shocked silence speaking volumes. Then Simone let loose an agonized sob, trying to muffle it with her hands.

"Please, don't," I begged, holding on by my own narrow thread of control. "It'll be alright. This is just a first opinion. I'm still hopeful…"

I heard Mick move to comfort my friend, and I wished I could do the same. "I'm sorry, Beth. I don't mean to upset you. I'll just go downstairs and pull myself together—"She rushed from the room.

Mick was at my side, raining kisses over my damp cheeks. I reached up and felt the tears on his face, and we held onto each other, at a loss for words that could come close to expressing our anguish at this news. He climbed onto the narrow bed with me, holding me close to his side as we wept. When we'd both calmed ourselves somewhat, a thought occurred to me. Something the doctor had said had taken me by surprise, but at the time, other things had taken precedence.

"Wife?" I asked Mick. "Did he refer to me as your _wife_?"

"Uhhh…it was simpler that way. It allowed me to be in on the decisions for your care. I told them you'd kept your maiden name." I felt his sheepish grin against my cheek. "Are you mad?"

"No. Of course not," I said, feeling the tremor in my voice at how much hearing him assume that role meant to me.

"Oh, God, Beth. I already think of you as my wife. No man or vamp could love his wife as much as I love you. And it felt so right, calling you that. I didn't even think twice about it every time you were referred to in that way. Maybe this isn't the right time…I mean, we were going to wait to make major decisions when you turned thirty, but almost losing you made me reconsider some things. I don't want to wait. I don't want to live another day wishing that you were mine completely. I may have a thousand more years to live, or I may have only one; there's no way of knowing. But I want every minute I have left on this earth to be with you. To care for you. To love you. To be your husband. Marry me, Beth."

My heart had picked up, threatening to burst from my chest. I was grateful the heart monitor had been disconnected; otherwise it would be embarrassingly loud and fast. I wished from my soul that I could see his face at that moment. I had been unconsciously waiting for this since the day we met again nearly three years before. But nothing—not a coma, not blindness—could take away from the joy I felt as he asked me to be his wife. But as overwhelmed with happiness as I was, I had to seriously think of the ramifications of this union, for both our sakes. My tears flowed again, and I took his face in my hands so that I could be sure he knew I wanted to look deeply into his eyes.

"You would be taking on a lot more than you should have to, Mick. If I'm blind forever—"he tried to hush my pessimism. "No, you have to listen to me. I would have to learn an entire new way of living. You might need infinite patience to deal with this. Do you have that? Would you be able to stand by me as I changed into a different person? Blind Beth may be someone you don't want to know, someone you can't love. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

I felt his cool lips on mine. "This is not going to change the heart of who you are, Beth. In fact, it will make you a stronger person, I guarantee it. And for my part, you must know there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, nothing I wouldn't sacrifice gladly to make you happy. I have extraordinary patience, Beth. I've been waiting for you for almost ninety years, haven't I?"

His smile against my lips was bittersweet, and my answer hovered on the tip of my tongue, but I was afraid. His proposal had seemingly come from nowhere, and at the same time had been coming for years. Three days ago, I might have said I wasn't ready for this, that there were too many unanswerable questions. Could I do this thing? Could I marry a vampire who would stay young and outlive me by centuries? And could I—could I give up on all my old dreams of a family and a "normal" husband, a normal life? To be with Mick St. John for as long as I this life allowed?

"Yes," I breathed against his mouth. "Yes…"

As he kissed me, I remembered that old expression about closed doors and opened windows. My eyes had been closed, but my heart had been opened to let whatever would come, come. A near-death experience will do that to you.

Mick pulled away reluctantly, and I protested as he climbed out of my bed. "Hold that thought," he said, laughter in his voice. I heard the faint squeak of leather, and I realized it was the familiar sound of Mick's leather jacket. He was beside me again in a vampire minute, and he placed a small box in my hand.

"Mick? Is this what I think it is?"

"Open it and find out." I realized it was wrapped in paper and a velvet ribbon. The little jeweler's box inside was velvet too, and, taking a deep breath, I opened it. It was a ring, as I had suspected. The stone was huge, set within tinier stones surrounding it. It felt beautiful.

"Describe the color for me," I said, trembling in reaction.

"It is a ruby encircled with diamonds in yellow gold. It was my mother's."

"You planned to propose to me?"

He laughed in what sounded suspiciously like embarrassment. "No. This was your Christmas present. A promise ring. I know it's an old-fashioned notion, but I didn't think we were ready for marriage yet. I wanted to officially pledge to you that we would be engaged someday soon. I hoped you would wear it until I could replace it with a diamond."

"Put it on me," I whispered. He took the box from me and removed the ring from its satin nest, then I felt his cool hand slip the cool ring upon the third finger of my left hand. It fit perfectly.

"It looks lovely," he said, kissing my temple. "I know you've said yes, but this doesn't have to be your engagement ring. It's not a diamond…"

"Don't you dare replace this! It means the world that you would give me your mother's ring." I felt abashed at my passionate outburst, and looked down unseeingly at my present. "I guess this makes it official, doesn't it?" I asked more softly.

"Yes. You are officially engaged to a vampire. How do you feel about that?"

"Happy beyond words. I'm sorry I don't have _your_ present here, though. It's in my luggage."

"You already gave me the best Christmas presents I ever received. You came back to me, and you agreed to be my wife. I seriously think whatever is in your suitcase can't top that."

I thought about the vintage 1950's Rolex in its box beneath my packed underwear, and I smiled. "I don't know," I teased, "my gift to you is pretty damned good…" I laughed as he punished my insolence with deep, drugging kisses.

TBC

A/N: Hope I took you by surprise with MY early Christmas present! I thought I'd balance the sad with the happy, and give Mick and Beth a little hope. They'll need it in the months ahead. Now, on to the OTHER wedding, lol. Please take a moment to post your reaction. Thanks!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So now, at last, _The Wedding_. I hope you like it.

Chapter 12

_Six days later…_

MICK

Seeing Josef Kostan nervous was a wondrous sight to behold. He stood before a full-length mirror in one of the bedrooms of his Lake Tahoe home, fussing unsuccessfully with his deep red bowtie. Finally, I went over and tied it for him, and he literally shook while he stood there in front of me.

"Why are you so nervous? The minister says the words and then you repeat them right back. It's not like you're making a speech to your stockholders or something."

He was quiet a moment, as I finished his tie. We both wore pristine white tuxedos, and the red bow tie was a disconcerting contrast. Josef had said, upon seeing me in it, that it looked like I hadn't been careful the last time I ate.

"I got to thinking about that conversation we had when I was first considering turning Simone," he said at last. "About forever being a long time. From what I've seen, compound forever by ten, and you'd get how long forever feels within the bonds of marriage."

"You're just now realizing this…"

I moved from in front of him, as he evaluated himself in the mirror. Not a bad tying job, if I did say so myself. He turned from side to side, spiked up his hair a little more, then turned back to me.

"No, I'm not just now realizing this. I'm just now realizing what I'm giving up. Freshies with benefits, pool parties, a dozen girls in every port. I understand now the _lock _part of the word _wedlock._ A man's natural state is not the state of matrimony, my friend."

I chuckled. "Spoken like a true playboy. You've lived that life for four-hundred-plus years. How 'bout some good old-fashioned monogamy for the next four hundred?"

"Spoken like you're truly snatch-trapped," he zinged back. I decided not to rip his head off for that remark, given that this was his wedding day and all. "Sorry," he sighed, regretting his snarky tone. "Pot, meet Kettle." He ran his hand through his hair, unconsciously messing up what he'd just fixed.

I went to the small table, where I'd thoughtfully brought in some scotch and two tumblers. I poured us both one. He accepted his gratefully, downing it quickly, then holding his glass out for more. I smirked, refilling it obediently.

"Marriage is going to be good for you, Josef. You need someone like Simone to balance you out. Humanize you some."

He glared at me, no doubt for using the "h" word. "Take that back. Anyway, I've found that I love her and will do anything to be with her, so that pretty well means I have to marry her. It's the keeping the vows part that scares me."

"Well, if you ever feel tempted, just remember what it was like to be without her. You were a basket case. And believe me, if I never see a freshie drinking tequilla from your navel again, it will be too soon." I shuttered at the memory.

"When did that happen?" he asked, clearly surprised, yet obviously disappointed that he couldn't remember.

"At your last pool party, remember? So, in my opinion, marriage will be a definite step up for you, especially since it's to a woman like Simone. She gave up her life for you, after all."

He began nodding, then pacing in agitation. "You're right, Mick, you're right. I love her. She challenges me, keeps me on my toes, and the sex...don't get me started on the sex…"

"No, _please_, don't get started on the sex. Anyway, pull your head out of your ass and try to be happy. You _do _know what you'll be missing—lots of empty, meaningless fucks with air-headed blood bags. "

He grinned at my characterization. "That sounds like the kind of pep talk I'll be giving _you _someday soon."He patted my shoulder affectionately. "Glad to see I'm finally rubbing off on you."

He didn't know just _how_ soon our roles would be reversed. Beth and I had agreed not to tell anyone about our engagement until after Josef and Simone's wedding, so as not to take away the attention due them on their special day. It was really hard hiding it from my best friend, and Beth kept my mother's ring on a long chain around her neck, trying to avoid questions from Simone and Carrie.

"Well, I think we've both mastered the art of the pep talk over the years, don't you?"

"Yes, and I have one for you, too. I know you're worried about Beth, but we'll get her the best specialists money can buy. And I'll personally weed out the quacks along the way, okay?" Which, of course, was Josef-speak for he'll kill anyone who doesn't give him the answers he wants.

"I know you will. You're a good friend. But Beth is doing okay. She's recovered in other ways very quickly this past week. She wanted to be able to come to your wedding and walk down the aisle like she and Simone planned, so, despite a constant headache, she's excited to be able to do that now. She'll just have an escort, instead of walking by herself." In a break with tradition, the best man would help the maid of honor make it safely down the aisle to stand up for the bride and groom. Just thinking about Beth's condition felt like a stab to my gut, so I tamped down those thoughts to focus on my friend, and the life-changing step he was about to take.

"But let's think of happier things," I continued. "Like this New Year's Eve wedding. Not Christmas, but I think it's better suited to a wedding anyway."

"Yeah. Out with the old, in with the new…"

We grinned at each other and looked at the door a few seconds before we heard a knock. Carrie.

_Are you boys decent?_

"That depends on what you mean by that,"said Josef, opening the door to the exceptionally lovely vampire. She was holding two red rose boutonnieres.

_I come bearing gifts. Let me pin these on you dashing gentlemen._

"Don't you look tres magnifique," said the groom as Carrie fastened the flower to his lapel. She smiled brilliantly, the pure white, strapless gown complimenting her alabaster skin and shiny black hair. It was pulled up into an intricate design of ringlets and tiny red rosebuds.

_Merci. Simone is a lucky woman. _She glanced at me and smiled. _And Beth too. But you will see you are getting the better bargain when you behold Beth, all in white. The wedding will be beautiful. It has stopped snowing, and the full moon shines brilliantly into the great room._

"How is Beth feeling?" I asked.

_I can tell her head aches, but she is very brave, your Beth. She wants no fuss, although she needed help with her dress, hair, and makeup. It was hard for her to ask. Don't despair, Mick, _she said, moving to pin the rose on me. _All will be well; you'll see. Now, I must go back to the bride's room. I was sent to remind you that we begin in ten minutes, and I am supposed to threaten you with a staking if you are late._

Josef chuckled. "I am the height of punctuality. The bride, however…"

_I will not relay that sentiment. Bon chance, mon amis. _She double kissed our cheeks and left us to our whiskey, which we both continued to drink in silence until the first strains of Pachelbel's _Canon in D _wafted in from the great room.

SIMONE

My wedding day. I stood before the mirror in the beautiful bedroom I would share with my husband this night. It was hard to know quite how to feel; so many emotions swirling in my head. I was still shaken by both my mother's actions and Beth's blindness. But I was overjoyed that in a few short minutes, I would marry the man of my dreams, and be escorted down the aisle by my beloved father.

_Do not let sad thoughts ruin this day, lovely Simone._ Carrie said behind me. I caught her eye in the mirror.

"Are you sure you can't read minds too?"

She smiled, and I was momentarily worried that her beauty would outshine the bride's.

_I wish that I could. But no, it is not difficult to predict your thoughts, after all you've been through. It is right that you feel happy on your wedding day; do not feel guilty in the least._

I turned from the mirror and smiled my gratitude. "Thank you. How are the boys? Are they ready?"  
_They must both be nervous. They are drinking like fish._

"Don't tell me they're drunk." This from Beth, who sat in a wingback chair near the window.

_No, not yet. Josef is the typical nervous groom, drinking his liquid courage. They both are so very handsome._

Beth looked beautiful in white, as I knew she would. Her hair was piled high and curled, similar to Simone's, since Simone is the one who styled hers, too. Mine, I wore long and curled in ringlets, like Josef liked it. My hand-made lace veil was pinned to the crown of my head to a diamond tiara—a gift from my groom—and it hung down to the floor behind me. A matching diamond and ruby shawl necklace hung around my neck, resting at the top of my breasts, which would no doubt draw Josef's eyes there, as I intended.

I smiled at my friends, choosing to be happy, even though Beth's unseeing gaze was still hard to bear. I went over to sit on the bed near her.

"I'm so glad you are well enough to be in the wedding. I don't know what I would do if you couldn't be there next to me."

She reached for my hand and I gave it to her. "Me too. I am so happy for you both. I love you so much." Her eyes began to water.

"I love you too. Now, stop that! You'll make my mascara run. No one likes a bride with raccoon eyes."

We all laughed, easing the tension somewhat. Right on time, I heard the violin and cello, and a soft knock came at the door. It was Mick, along with my father. I stood up as Carrie opened the door to them, and I could see what Carrie meant. Mick was staggeringly gorgeous; his hair brushed back, his shaved face revealing the sexy cleft in his chin. His hazel eyes lit on me and he smiled in appreciation, but his gaze invariably went to Beth. The raw emotion I saw there made me want to weep again. No one would ever doubt how much he loved her. He helped her to her feet and walked with her to the door, kissing her cheek, praising her beauty and whispering words of love.

"See you in a minute," Mick said to me. "And don't worry; I'll be right there should Josef collapse."

"Thanks, Mick. That's very reassuring," I said sarcastically, but I couldn't help but return his teasing smile.

_I'll be sitting right next to Daryl, _Carrie said, on her way out. And _if Josef collapses, it will be from how overwhelmingly lovely you are._

"Thank you, Carrie. For everything."

She nodded and smiled, then left me with my father. He stood before me, his eyes bright with unshed tears, his arms spread wide for me to walk into. We hugged tightly, despite the fleeting worry that my dress might be crushed. I didn't care at that moment; I was so happy my daddy was here for me, as he had always been my entire life. He looked so handsome in his white tuxedo.

"Sweetheart. You are absolutely beautiful. I'm so happy you found a man you really love. I only wish your mother-"

"Please, Daddy," I said, pulling away, on the brink of tears again. "If we talk about her, I'll ball like a baby. I have to appear happy on my wedding day, okay?"

"Okay, honey. I guess the best thing to come out of all this is that I found out about your wedding so I could walk you down the aisle like I always dreamed I would."

"Yes. I'm glad you're here." Then I heard _The Wedding March, _and realized with a start that the time was finally here.

"That's our cue," Daddy said, taking my arm. I grabbed my bouquet of red roses and allowed the first man in my life to walk with me so I could join my life with the second—my waiting groom.

JOSEF

I felt like I was in the middle of a rose-scented inferno, what with all the red and white candles on every surface, and in freestanding sconces scattered strategically throughout the great room. Some of said decorations lit the makeshift aisle, and despite the fact that only seven chairs were set up for the few guests attending, the room was cozy and beautiful. A string quartet played the traditional wedding music in the back of the room, and dozens of new red roses were interspersed among the candles, their heavy fragrance threatening to overcome me.

"Steady there, buddy," Mick whispered. The other vampires in the room heard him and grinned at my discomfort. I put a finger beneath my collar, that damned bowtie suddenly feeling very constrictive. "Quit fidgeting. You're acting like a debutante at her first cotillion." I gave a dirty look to my so-called friends in the audience, which only made them snicker softly. Yeah, wait till it happened to them; a vampire's memory is very long. _Would it be too gauche to have a shot of whiskey while I waited?_

When the quartet began to play the familiar bride's introduction, I wondered if I were still capable of hyperventilation. I glanced over at Beth, the blonde beauty standing on my left, her blind eyes still alight with excitement. I tried not to let a twinge of anger cloud my eyes, so I looked again to the back of the room, where, suddenly, as if by magic, my bride appeared. Everyone stood and followed my gaze, their gasps of surprise audible, even over the music. We had all been instructed to wear white, even the male guests, and now I understood the incredible reason why. While most brides chose the traditional white wedding gown, _my_ bride, my _Simone,_ wore red. And not just any old red—a deep, blood red, even the veil that covered her long, honey blonde hair. I wanted to laugh at her brilliance, her sense of the dramatic; but mostly, I wanted to drag her to the floor and ravish her amid the scent of roses and candle wax.

I gulped and Mick nudged me, trying to wake me up from my daze as Simone stopped before me as the last notes of the march faded away. I'd almost forgotten the vampire minister I'd hired was standing behind me, until his rich baritone echoed in the quiet room.

"Who gives this woman to join with this man?"

Marcus cleared his throat, the poor bastard as emotional as I was. "I do," he said simply. He raised her veil and kissed her cheek, then went to sit down. Simone handed her bouquet to Beth's waiting hands and put her own hands in mine. Her eyes glistened with happiness, and I gave her a confident smile that was clearly all an act. She winked knowingly.

Much later, I would feel terrible that I forgot saying my vows, having moved through the ceremony like I was in a dream. We'd decided against the corny _recite your own vows_ fad that had become en vogue lately, in favor of the traditional love, honor, etc.—minus saying _obey, _though that had led to an interesting argument, ending with _me_ agreeing to obey _her_ every desire in the bedroom. I had tried to get her to wield a whip and wear black stilettos, but she refused, even for one night. Spoil sport. But I digress…

What I _do_ remember from the ceremony were Simone's smiles, her tears, and a kiss at the end that was so sweet, so perfect, so long, that I thought I might melt into a puddle on the hardwood floor. The clapping of my friends invaded the marathon kiss, and even the minister cleared his throat as we stood there, lost in each other. We reluctantly broke apart, amid much laughter and many catcalls. On sudden impulse, I picked up my wife in my arms and ran with her back down the aisle, her long veil floating behind us like Superman's cape. I shut the door of our bedroom and threw her down on the bed, then proceeded to pull down her strapless red dress, revealing a sexy, red bustier. She laughed and squealed in protest.

"Josef! For Heaven's sake, control yourself! We have a room full of guests—"

I smothered her words with passionate kisses, then moved to her sweetly scented décolletage. She moaned softly, allowing me to have my way for a moment, then, she abruptly pushed me away with her vampire strength. I landed against the wall, and I heard the silence in the other room that met the loudness of the crash, then wicked laughter and speculation as to what we were doing in here.

"Sorry!" Simone said, cringing and laughing at the same time. "Really, Josef, we're being rude by coming in here like this."

"To hell with—"

She was walking slowly toward me, her dress still half-way pulled down, until she was right in my face, her finger gently tracing my lips, her eyes brown velvet.

"—them," I finished lamely. She kissed me gently, then pulled back, a promise in her smile.

"Later, when everyone has gone, I have something very special planned for us. Something I bet you've never done in all your long existence."

"Really?" I asked, totally intrigued, and completely turned on. But then again, it might be that her other hand cupped my crotch, not to mention the fact that she had denied me sexually all week, a belated desire to hold off until our wedding night.

"Yessss," she breathed against my lips. "But you have to go back in there with me for the reception and for pictures, and behave yourself until then…_Husband_." As she uttered my new moniker, she squeezed a little, and my eyes briefly rolled back in my head in sensual surprise. I put my hand over hers.

"Any more of that and I won't be able to promise anything, _Wife._"

She laughed sexily, removing her hand. "Fair enough." I watched her walk to the mirror, pulling up her dress, tidying her hair and veil. I did a few personal adjustments myself and tried hard to think of non-sexual things. _Elise Walker. _There, that did it.

"Shall we?" I asked, now somewhat...deflated. She smiled and headed for the door. I reluctantly opened it and followed behind.

"Remember," she whispered, "behave."

"Always," I smirked, giving her rounded ass a sharp slap on the way out. She hissed in surprise.

"You'll pay for that later," she threatened, shooting me a warning look.

"I'm counting on it."

And so we pasted on smiles and joined our friends, while I counted the seconds until I could finally get my wife alone.

TBC

A/N: So, you like? Thanks for all your great reviews thus far, especially because this story has surpassed 100 incredible reviews! _Squee! _You guys are the best! Now, wouldn't it be great if I could get… 200? If you haven't reviewed yet, don't be shy! And tell your friends to read and review too. It's like encouraging them to get out and vote, only you're just asking them to stay home and review. Okay, so it's nothing like voting, not to mention that it's not your civic duty. Oh well…thanks in advance for voting, uh, reviewing. And when I'm elected…


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I continue to be so gratified by the kind words from everyone who posts. I told some of you that there would only be one more chapter remaining. Well, this one ran a little longer than I expected, so you get a bonus one after this! Hope you don't mind. ;)

Chapter 13

BETH

The music was lovely. The words of the ceremony had been beautiful in their simplicity. I stood next to my friends as the photographer snapped pictures, smiling and turning where I was told. Mick had had to explain how Josef literally swept Simone off her feet and absconded with her to the bedroom. I wish I could have seen that. There were a lot of things I wish I could have seen. Mick in a white tuxedo, for one. Simone in her dress. The roses. The moon. _Oh, God! _ I stifled a sob into my hand and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the panic attack to pass.

"Beth!" Mick whispered anxiously, close to my ear. "Honey, what's wrong? Are you in pain? Here, let's sit down." And he led me to one of the folding chairs set up for the wedding. I felt the seat press into the back of my knees, felt behind me, then made myself take a leap of faith just to sit down. Everything felt like that, like I was taking a risk with every move I made. I was unsure of everything, unable to trust my own instincts. That was another thing that had been taken from me along with my sight.

"Honey?"

"I'm okay," I said at last. "Is everyone staring?"

"No. Of course not. They're all huddled around the open bar. What happened?"

"I uh…just felt a little overwhelmed, that's all."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. Let me get you a drink."

"No!" I grabbed awkwardly for his hand. "No. Please, don't leave me."

"Beth…" He was rightfully concerned; I probably sounded like a crazy person.

"Honey, I have to make a toast, okay? Just stay here; this will only take a minute."

"Okay," I said, trying to sound cheerful. Where was this paranoia coming from? A minute later, there was a clinking of silverware on glass, and Mick was clearing his throat. Someone thrust a glass of champagne into my hand, and I sat waiting, uncertain of where I should be facing.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. The ceremony was lovely, wasn't it?" There was enthusiastic applause from the small group around me. "I'm not really one for speeches, but being the best man here, as Josef so correctly dubbed me,"—that got a big laugh—"it behooves me to say a little speech. I thought I'd start with a trip down memory lane…I remember the first time I met Josef. It was at a party in LA. I looked at this man in his expensive suit, women hanging on each arm, and I thought to myself: _What an arrogant asshole!_" More chuckling. " I was sitting at the bar, my band on a break, crying into my beer because the girl I liked was flirting with someone just like Josef, and the next thing I knew, he had abandoned his women and was sitting next to me. And you know what the first words were that he said to me, as I sat there in my cheesy Hawaiian band shirt?"

"Where's the scotch?"guessed Guillermo.

"May I have this dance?" ventured Logan.

"Close," Mick joined the smattering of laughter. "No, the Great Josef Kostan said to me: _Aloha, you poor bastard." _The room erupted. "Then, he looked at my expression, my half-drunk beer and gave me some wonderful advice. He said: _No woman is worth crying in your beer over. _My first impression of him was confirmed, but unfortunately," he continued over the snickering " his sage advice was proven wrong. I've seen Josef Kostan cry buckets over Simone, and I've cried buckets over Beth, so I can safely say, we have both found women well worth crying over."

"I said in your _beer, _Mick," interrupted Josef. "You ever see _me_ drinking beer?" Once again, Josef Kostan stole the spotlight. I smiled despite my anxious feelings inside.

"And so, please raise your glass to Josef. He is my best friend, my brother, my main drinking buddy, and, God-willing, the era of our crying over women has long passed. And to Simone, thank you for putting an end to all our suffering. Seriously, you're beautiful, and we welcome you to the family. To Josef and Simone!"

The room echoed his salute, and I sipped my champagne. The party continued, and I felt Mick sit next to me again.

"That was great, Mick," I said sincerely, forcing a smile.

He took my hand, and I could feel the concern in the simple touch. "It's going to be alright, Beth. I'm here." His understanding words and the kiss on my temple had my loose hold on control beginning to unravel.

"Please, Mick," I said softly, urgently. "Take me back to the lodge."

I could tell he was probably surprised. "Don't you want to stay for the reception?"

How could I tell him that I was feeling claustrophobic with all these people, all this action around me? It was so unnerving that I couldn't see what was going on.

"I do, but…please. I'm not feeling well, and I don't want to spoil everyone's evening. You could come back of course, after you drop me off."

"I'm not going to just drop you off."

Then I heard someone—Daryl—mention that it was ten seconds until midnight. They all began to count down to the New Year. Mick didn't join them, but he sat quietly, his cool hand in mine. As everyone yelled "Happy New Year!" and the quartet began playing _Auld Lang Sine, _I was momentarily startled to feel lips pressing gently to mine. Mick's, of course. I kissed him back, deepening it and clutching to his neck for dear life.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said, having to pull forcefully away from my hands and mouth. "It's okay. You're safe. Let's say our goodbyes, and I'll take you back."

"I want to go home," I said suddenly, the words escaping me before I could help myself. _Home. _Yes, that's what I wanted more than anything in that moment. "Take me back to LA, Mick. Please."

There was a heavy silence, and I could almost feel the worry emanating from him. "Sure. I'll ask Josef to call his pilot. We'll go home tonight, if that's what you want."

I blinked back the tears that threatened, and just nodded mutely. Great. I was losing my powers of speech now too.

"I'll be right back. It'll just take a minute."

Someone sat next to me, placing their cool hand on my arm. I recognized Carrie's perfume.

_You look like you are in pain, cherie. Can I get you something? There are hors d'oeuvre for humans over there. Let me get you a plate._

"No, thank you. Mick is…well, he's taking me home. To LA. I can't—" A linen handkerchief was thrust into my hand, and I brought it gratefully to my eyes.

_You must be overwhelmed. We should have postponed this longer till you were more up to it._

"No. Everyone has already been put out enough because of me. I just feel so—out of touch with everything."

_I understand. It is perhaps like becoming a vampire was for me. Everything was so different. There were the obvious things I had to get used to as a vamp, but my way of communicating was drastically changed. I had to learn these new ways, to watch what I thought, and toward whom I directed my thoughts. I imagine you are having difficulty adapting as well. Don't be afraid to ask for help, Beth. We all love you, and will take care of you._

It suddenly occurred to me that before she'd been turned, Carrie knew very much what it had been like to have a disability.

"You could not speak at all when you were human, could you?"

_No. Only through my own made-up sign language. It was very frustrating. But you will adapt. And we all still have hope that specialists will find a way to reverse this. Until then, you need not fear. Mick won't let anything happen to you._

But how could I tell her that I didn't want anyone to have to help me? That I was so used to my independence that losing it felt very much like I had lost a huge part of my reason for living. I was frightened that I would fall into a deep depression, or become a prisoner in my own home. How could I do my job now? Most of it had been legwork and computer investigating. At times, it was dangerous, even for someone who _could_ see. There was no way I could do it alone anymore. I held my breath so I wouldn't let out a sob. We lapsed into silence, Carrie gently rubbing my back until Mick came back.

"The jet is being refueled now," he said. "We can leave within the hour, since it's not snowing for once. Thank you for sitting with her, Carrie."

_It is my pleasure. I hope you will allow me to help when we all get home, Beth. Call me anytime. _She kissed my cheeks and squeezed my hands. _Have a safe journey._

I heard her kiss Mick too, and then she moved away.

"I don't want to make a scene. Can we go now? We still have to pick up our luggage at the lodge."

Of course, it didn't take long for everyone to start coming by, wishing me well and saying their concerned good-byes. I hated being the center of attention in this way, especially on Josef and Simone's special day.

"Beth," said Simone. "this was a mistake. We should have waited…"

I sighed. "Like I told Carrie, there was no reason to postpone again. I want you and Josef to be able to start your lives together. Don't worry about me. Stay here and enjoy your honeymoon. I'll be alright. I think familiar surroundings will help me feel more…confident, that's all. And I'm tired of the cold weather, unlike certain others who seem to revel in it."

She laughed softly. "Okay. But we'll be back to LA in a few days. Then, I'll be at your beck and call."

But I couldn't laugh nonchalantly at that. I didn't want anyone at my _beck and call._ "Thanks. And I'm sure everything was beautiful. It sounded beautiful. I remember how great you look in that dress."

"Thanks, Beth. I was so happy to have you in the wedding. So glad you were able to be here."

"Sorry you aren't feeling well, Blondie," Josef told me. "I think you have the right idea. There's no place like home and all, even if it's full of smog, crime and traffic."

He could always make me laugh. "Sorry I'm such a wet blanket…"

"Not at all. Frankly, my attention will be elsewhere for the next few days. I wouldn't want you to feel slighted, hanging around here with no one to talk to…" I heard the soft smack of a lover's kiss. Suddenly a warm hand touched mine. There was only one other human at the wedding: Simone's father. He'd visited me often at the hospital, and I knew it was guilt for what his wife had done to me that compelled him. But he was a nice man, and he had begun to remind me of my own father.

"Beth. You look lovely. I'm happy to see you out of that hospital bed. If there's anything more I can do…I instructed the hospital to send the bills to me."

"Don't worry about it," I said in surprise. "I have insurance. None of this was your fault, Marcus. I don't blame you." I'd told him this on numerous occasions, but it still hadn't gotten through to him. "And, actually, Mick is taking me home tonight, so I guess this is good-bye for now."

I felt myself enveloped in strong, warm arms. It's funny how I'd gotten used to the coolness of vampires. But warmth had its virtues, and I felt much comfort from Marcus Walker's fatherly hug. I guess a girl never really gets over needing her daddy.

"Good-bye, and please let me know how things go for you. If you have to go to New York, well I have lots of contacts there."

"Thanks. And you take care of yourself, okay? I'm not the only one who has lost something." He gave my hand a squeeze, and then he was gone. I had the feeling that he was as overcome as I was by everything that had happened.

"I have something for you," said Simone. The strong scent of roses became even stronger as Simone placed her bouquet into my hands. "For the next bride," she whispered.

"But, the other girls—"

"Have likely been to many, many weddings over the years, and yet, they're still single. Besides, you deserve the luck."

I smiled and brought the flowers to my nose. "Thanks, but I don't need it, not in that way, anyway. Is there anyone watching us?"

"No, everyone is back at the bar again. Why?" I pulled on the delicate chain around my neck and brought up the ring Mick had given me.

"Is that what I think it is?"she said excitedly, reaching for it and holding it in her hand.

"Yes. He proposed on Christmas Day. We didn't want to detract from your wedding, but I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. The ring was his mother's."

"Oh, wow, Beth. It's gorgeous. Have you set a date?"

"Not yet, but I think we are under unspoken agreement to wait until we know more about my prognosis. One day at a time, right?"

"Right."

She sat beside me and hugged me, and I returned it with all my strength. "I just want to go home now. I hope you understand."

"Of course I do. Don't think about me. I want you to be happy, to start looking for that specialist who will heal you."

Mick had returned with Daryl's keys.

"Are you ready?" He asked me.

"Yes."

"Take good care of her," Simone said. "I love you both." And I knew she had slipped back over to her other guests.

"I've said my good-byes. Let's go home, Beth."

He walked me to the front door, amid more farewells from our friends. Mick helped me put on my coat, and once outside I stopped him for a moment so I could take a deep breath of the cold night air. Inside, the quartet had begun playing again—a chamber orchestra version of _Stayin' Alive._ I smiled at Josef's sense of humor.

"It's a new year," I said, my voice trembling. "Why am I so damned afraid?"

"Because you are suddenly learning how tenuous life is, that we should never take anything for granted." I could no longer stop the tears I had been holding in for appearance's sake. Mick brushed them away with his thumbs, and I buried my face in his leather-covered chest.

"Shhh…whatever comes, Beth, I will be right here with you. I'll be your eyes so that you won't miss anything. I'll make love to you every night as if it were both the first and the last time. We'll live in the moment, and try not to worry about what might happen tomorrow."

His words were beautiful, making my tears fall faster, but I had to smile at my vampire's deep, romantic streak.

"I guess you don't need to write your wedding vows now."

He pulled back, and I felt his eyes on my face, taking in my watery smile. "Are you making fun of me?" he asked suspiciously. I wondered if that sexy eyebrow of his was raised. I reached up to discover I had guessed right.

"Not at all. I'm just marveling that I can be so happy and so unbelievably frightened at the same time."

His cool hands framed my face, and he brought his head down to mine until our noses touched. I closed my eyes. "Don't be afraid," he said against my lips, "as long as we love each other, we'll find a way to get through anything."

He kissed me then, urgently, passionately, the fresh scents of pine and snow enveloping us. I felt like we were in our own world, where nothing else mattered but his lips on mine, and the promise that came with the ring that pressed gently over my heart.

TBC

A/N: One more chapter to go! I couldn't leave this story without a glimpse into Josef and Simone's honeymoon, now could I? I hope you have the time to review!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Here it is at last: the conclusion. You have been great to read and let me know what you think. It's so nice to feel the love! This chapter is all from Josef's point of view, covering the reception and a little bit of the honeymoon. For that reason, the last part of this chapter is rated M, for MMMMMMMMM! Lol. Hope you like it!

Chapter 14: Conclusion

JOSEF

I watched with concern as Mick and Beth left, Beth overly anxious about getting back to LA. I guess I could understand. If I were to lose one of my senses, I'd want to be in familiar surroundings too, even if it were LA. Still, I missed them already—I was surprised by how much. But I was always a snifter half-full kind of guy, so I looked on the _very _bright side, which was, of course, my new wife. As the quartet began to play the extremely saccharine, though very apt song, _The Lady in Red, _I met my bride in the middle of the room, took her in my arms, and whirled her around the floor for our first dance as husband and wife.

"I can't believe we're finally here," Simone said to me.

"No one more than me, sweetheart," I said sincerely, my lips at her temple. We swayed to the music a minute, then the room applauded and cameras flashed before the other three couples joined us on the makeshift dance floor.

"Have you spoken to Stacy yet?" she asked me suddenly, her eyes on the woman dancing with Logan.

I had been so involved with my wife, then with Mick and Beth's situation, that I hadn't taken the time to notice our other guests. I looked at Stacy now, and damned if Logan hadn't found a winner. She was an extremely petite redhead, with eyes a bright blue in her alabaster face. Her hair was bobbed and curly, and she was quite fetching in the white gown she wore. Logan towered over her, which was, of course, going to be the angle I approached when teasing them both mercilessly.

"No, this is the first I've had the chance to even notice anyone but you, my love. She seems surprisingly…attractive."

"Don't be mean. She's lovely, I think. I spoke with her earlier and she seems very smitten with Logan. I think the feeling is mutual." She grinned at the couple, who were dancing as closely as publicly possible, whispering together. I tried not to eavesdrop, really I did, but when I heard her say something to the effect of _"wait until I get you alone, big boy," _I just couldn't help folding that little tidbit away for future use.

"Logan seems to have drawn the long straw for a change. You think he'll mind if I dance with her?"

"Josef…" her voice held a warning. My lips twitched. She knew me so well.

The song had wound down and I gave Simone a dramatic dip and kissed her senseless in front of the entire party. "Thank you, darling. Now, you'll have to allow me to spread myself around a little. I'm the host, after all…"

Before she could protest, I handed her off to Daryl and went in search of my new dance partner. I stopped in front of Logan and his lady, clearing my throat to get their attention and garner an introduction. I watched with joy as Logan swallowed hard and brought his hand nervously to his collar.

"Uh, hey, uh, Josef. Nice party. Have you met Stacy?"

I took her proffered hand, basking in the beauty of her welcoming smile, and noticed the pert little nose with its faint smattering of freckles. _She __**did**__ have all her teeth._ I brought her tiny hand to my lips for my most gallant of kisses, and looked at the same time into her eyes. It worked every time, and I felt the jolt in her hand, saw the widening of her baby blues. I could always rely on the old Kostan charm.

"An honor to meet the lovely lady who finally managed to harp-, uh _land _our good friend Logan here."

"Thank you. I've heard so much about you and Logan's other friends. I was so excited to get the chance to meet you all. And what a moving ceremony. You two look like you were meant to be together. The way Logan tells it, you've had quite the fairy tale romance. But Logan is such a romantic, himself." I succeeded in not snickering at that characterization, but shot Logan a raised eyebrow.

"How…sweet. And I'm truly happy you could join us." I still held her hand, purposefully keeping it between both of mine, slightly longer than appropriate. I turned again to Logan, whose eyes were glued to where I touched his date. He was frowning, but he tried hiding it in the champagne he'd just picked up. As if on cue, the music began again—another slow dance. I grinned wickedly.

"You don't mind if I borrow your date for a spin on the dance floor, do ya, Logan, my man?"

I didn't wait for his reply, but pulled Stacy along with me. Everyone switched partners, and I smiled to see Daryl's behemoth form dancing with Simone, Carrie with Guillermo, and Caridad grabbing the mildly protesting Logan who had been staring dumbly at me and his girl. I felt like I should lift the girl in my arms to stand on top of my shoes while we danced. The top of her red head came only mid-chest on me, and she had to lean her head back awkwardly to look up into my face.

"So, Stacy. How long have you been a vampire?" She smelled very young, as far as vamps go.

"Only about ten years. I'm just now getting used to it. I was never a night person before," she grinned. Her nose wrinkled and the freckles scrunched prettily. "And let me guess—you were about twenty when you were turned, right?"

She nodded. "Twenty-one. Barely legal." _Wow. I think I saw a girlie magazine called that. Logan, you dog!_

I sure hoped my thoughts weren't written on my face. This was the kind of girl you brought home to mama, the kind of girl you took to the sock hop or the senior prom. She was shiny and bright, like a new copper penny. I suddenly, unaccountably didn't want Logan to fuck this up.

"Well, how did you and Mr. Romance meet?" I knew Logan's side of the story, but I wanted to hear the woman's perspective.

"It's a little embarrassing. You'll think we're such nerds. We were both at ComicCon in San Diego last year. We really hit it off. I love _Star Wars, _you see, and so does Logan. We sat and talked for hours. We exchanged e-mail addys and hooked up online, then again in person. Logan has been a big help to me. I hadn't left home much since I was turned. My parents each passed away within the last couple of years, so I've been living in their house off their life insurance and the small inheritance they left me. I rarely went out except to buy blood, or to the occasional sci-fi convention. I was very awkward and lonely, until Logan came into my life. Sounds hokey, I know, but he brought me out of my shell." She glanced over at Logan, who was rudely ignoring the gorgeous Caridad and feasting his beady little eyes on Stacy. Go figure. My expression softened. I could see the attraction, though. She'd wormed her way into what was left of my heart after only a few minutes.

"You two are lucky to have found each other. You only had to wait ten years. I waited over four-hundred for Simone."

Her eyes widened. "You're that old? You don't _smell_ that old."

I chuckled and pulled her closer, resting my head on top of hers. "Stacy, you're a treasure. If Logan ever screws this up, you come to me, and I'll kick his ass for you, okay?" I was feeling decidedly brotherly toward this slip of a girl.

"Thank you, Josef. But I think Logan and I will be just fine."

"I have to say, I think you two are a perfect match." I was surprised that I actually meant those words. I wasn't used to having many charitable thoughts where Logan was concerned. _God, I must be getting sentimental in my old age. _

She looked up at me and gave me her sunny smile. "I think you're right."

I politely didn't comment when I heard her whisper "I love you," then heard Logan's immediate vamp level reply from across the room. Stacy and I finished our dance in silence, while my own eyes sought out my bride, her face radiant as she laughed at one of Daryl's witty remarks.

I escorted Stacy back to Logan, and they automatically held hands, looking upon each other like they'd been separated for years rather than minutes.

"Thank you mademoiselle, for the lovely dance," I said, bowing to Stacy.

"You're welcome. And thank _you_ for letting me come on this trip and to your wedding, sight unseen. I have to say there would be no way I could ever pay for all this luxury. The private jet, the fancy lodge. I've never even been out of California."

"My pleasure, truly."

"Yeah, thanks, man," said Logan, finding his tongue—not usually a good thing. He reached out a hand to me and I shook it. "And congratulations on the wedding and everything. It was really cool."

_Dammit. Why was the bastard being so much less…annoying. _I had all this great material planned to torment him, and now those plans had been ruined by his good taste in women and actually acting like a grown-up for a change.

"You two, enjoy the rest of the evening." I left them to each other as another song began. There was someone else I needed to talk to, anyway. Marcus Walker was standing off to the side of the room in relative shadow, and judging by the scent of alcohol so strong that even a human could discern it, he was well on his way to a major bender. Poor guy. He took a fortifying drink as I approached.

"Marcus," I nodded to him. "You found the good scotch, I see. Enjoying the party?" His eyes followed Simone as she began dancing the tango with Guillermo.

"As much as could be expected, I suppose, given that my wife is in the nuthouse, and missing our daughter's wedding. Things could have been so much different…" He shook his head in sorrow.

"I really am sorry about that. But under the circumstances, that was the best alternative, don't you think?"

He sighed heavily.

"You're right, I know. I couldn't bear to see her in prison, her reputation shredded, her career at a permanent end. She'd be disbarred, of course. You don't know how much I appreciate you looking out for her, even though I know it's only for Simone's sake. That was good of you, sincerely."

He didn't know just _how_ good. She'd be feeding the fishes in the lake if I'd had my way, or in whatever the Tahoe equivalent of La Brea was. Applause and laughter filled the room as the tango ended with a dramatic flourish, and Simone joined us. She sensed the maudlin atmosphere immediately, but kept her smile in place for her father.

"Daddy, I think it's tradition that the bride dance with her father, right?" She held out her hand to him, and his eyes watered a little at her beauty, at the emotion of the moment. He smiled bravely for her, and my estimation of the man jumped a few more notches. Simone handed me his glass and I watched them go to begin a waltz. I could feel the goofy smile stretching across my face as I watched my bride with infinite pride and love. Absently, I took a sip of Marcus Walker's scotch.

####################

The guests were finally gone, the musicians and wait staff all packed up and out the door. It was four a.m., and I was anxious to begin the honeymoon part of the nuptials. I stood on the deck, looking at the sliver of moon as it rested on the subtly lightening horizon, while Simone was inside, slipping into something more comfortable. As I puffed on my cigar, I was suddenly pelted in the face by a snowball. It wasn't Logan that I smelled this time, so I knew damned well who the culprit was. After I wiped the offending snow from my eyes, I zeroed in on my attacker. There, in the darkness, was my bride, dressed only in a mischievous smile. The _something more comfortable _had turned out to be _nothing at all. _She must have snuck out the back door.

I grinned at her creativity, and how she'd accomplished the near impossible feat of taking me by surprise.

I tossed down my smoldering, wet cigar. "You realize, of course, that this means war." I began unbuttoning my shirt on my way to the edge of the deck. She laughed and took off into the woods, and I chuckled as her shapely white ass blended in with the whiteness of the snow. Shirtless, I jumped off the deck and began the hunt. My dress shoes slipped on the snow, so I kicked them off, proceeding from there in my bare feet.

It didn't take long to track her, since my prey was almost begging to be caught. She stood behind a narrow tree, the snow up to her knees, and I snuck up and pinned her to it from behind, my hands going up to cup her pleasantly cold breasts. She squealed in surprise, but remained where she was, anticipating what I might do to her now that she'd been captured. The tree between us, her breath caught as one of my hands journeyed further south to slip inside her, pressing her back into the rough bark.

"_Now_, what are you gonna do?" I asked near her ear. Abruptly, she pushed away from the tree, and, with beautiful vampire speed, came around and pushed me into the snow, jumping gleefully on top of me. Her long hair fell all around her naked body, briefly covering her breasts like Lady Godiva. I guess I was her trusty steed. I bucked her a little and we both moaned at the heady feeling of my burgeoning erection. She leaned forward and caught my wrists, pushing them into the snow, effectively pinning me. Her young vamp strength still took me off guard at times, and I gave her a wicked smirk.

"I'm liking this surprise," I said against her lips before her tongue slipped into my mouth. I allowed her to dominate me a few heady minutes, but I was an impatient groom, and I'd waited all week for this night. I rolled her over to her back, grabbing a handful of snow as we swapped positions. She gasped as I began packing it around her breasts, then at the juncture of her thighs. My mouth, now only slightly warmer than the snow, came down on one of her snow-covered peaks, and I swirled the snow into her areola, simultaneously pushing some of it inside her with my other hand. She groaned in ecstasy at the wet sensation, the cold turning us both on like a tropical beach would two humans in heat.

"You have too many clothes on," she said desperately, rotating her hips into my hand. Her free hands went to my fly, and I moved reluctantly away a moment so I could discard my pants. I can't effectively describe the feeling of our two naked bodies meeting outside in the cold, like nature intended, but it was unlike anything I had ever experienced, just like she had promised.

We clung to each other, finally taking the time to be still and revel in what the wedding ceremony had truly meant. I pulled back slightly so I could see her eyes, and they shone back at me, luminous and filled with love. I had no doubt she was seeing the same thing in mine.

"You're really mine now," I whispered.

"Forever," she finished, completing my sentence as she completed me in all other ways.

We kissed deeply, profoundly, her hands in my damp hair, mine traveling the length of her spine. But our naked proximity awoke our baser needs, and we became frantic for each other. We rolled again, and I found myself on my back, Simone kissing her way down my body. I gasped in shock as a handful of snow found its way to my most sensitive area, then gasped again as she took me gently into her mouth. I lay spread eagle in abandon as she ministered to me, feeling closer to the edge with every stroke of her hand and caress of her talented tongue. But I didn't want things to end too soon, so, when I couldn't take it anymore, I sat up and pulled her back on top of me. She sheathed me, lowering herself slowly down, then moving up again, the friction and added wetness of the slushy snow bringing a totally new and sensual dimension to the experience.

I was attuned to her every movement, matching them with countering thrusts, so that when we came, we came together. I yelled out my satisfaction, while my lovely bride cussed a blue streak into the early morning, throwing her head back in abandon. When the aftershocks subsided, she climbed off me and threw herself into the snow beside me.

"Good God," I murmured. "That was like nothing I've ever…_Good God_."

She chuckled, obviously very happy with herself. "I told you it would be something different."

I turned on my side to look at her. "It was a pretty big assumption that I'd never had sex in the snow before. I mean, I've had countless unusual experiences over the last four centuries."

She stopped laughing and looked at me seriously. "I was fairly confident you'd never _made love_ to your _wife_ in the snow before, so I knew this would certainly eclipse any other past encounters you might have had."

"Well, I've never actually done it _at all_ in the snow, so you gave me something different in every way. But you know what? I have a feeling that you'll never be boring, my love. You'll always keep me on my toes."

"Or on your back," she countered wickedly.

"Not unless I get you there first," I laughed softly.

In the blink of an eye, I had pinned her again in the snow, and she sank into it a little, her hair splayed out around her. We then proceeded to make erotic snow angels as the stars began to fade in the cold sky above us.

THE END

A/N: Thanks for reading my story! You continue to inspire and encourage me, so I will certainly be revisiting "Moonlight" and continuing the story of Mick and Beth, Josef and Simone. I will, however, be taking a little break from writing in this community. I'm going to try my hand at writing for "The Mentalist." So, if you are a fan of that wonderful show, I hope you'll take a peek at what I come up with. I'm obsessed with that show, and the potential love story between the two main characters. Just be sure to sign up for an author alert so you'll know when I post.

In the meantime, I recently posted "The Best of Mick and Josef," part 1, where I have gone back to the beginning of my stories and included all my favorite scenes from my series. I think it is against the rules of to re-post stories, so you'll find this over on my page. Here's the link.

.com/

Hope to see you again soon! Thanks so much for your support.


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